


Fly (Keishin Ukai)

by KarasunoParkingLot



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Coma, Completed, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Issues, Female Volleyball, Finished, Fluff, Growth through the story, Hurt/Comfort, Karasuno Family, Mutual Pining, Protective Karasuno Volleyball Club, Romance, Slow Burn, Spiker - Freeform, Sports Accident, Temporary Amnesia, Up and down up and down but i swear it ends happy, ace - Freeform, lightweight, protective ukai, stutter, wholesome ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-18 23:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 146,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22001725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarasunoParkingLot/pseuds/KarasunoParkingLot
Summary: They said she would be the best player in the world. They said she was destined to take Japan to the top again. But it all changed the day of the Volleyball Nationals Final. She was the reason the team won, but at what cost? Four years on and she had not touched a Volleyball since. She was a different person entirely. However, what happens when she finally decides to turn her life around and becomes the assistant coach for her younger brothers volleyball team? Will her life finally have meaning again or will it go crumbling down just like everyone predicted?
Relationships: Ukai Keishin/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 72
Kudos: 325





	1. High School National Finals

The female volleyball team of Karasuno had never felt the way they did that day. They had never felt the pressure of the national finals like Inarizaki Kōkō - the previous winners - did. The feeling of that match was different. Every hit, every call, every dig and spike meant much more than any other game and they sure as hell would put everything they had into it.

No one thought Karasuno would make it past the preliminaries let alone make it to the National Final. The team had never even made it to the nationals before and had been an underdog since the very beginning. It all started with Yuki Nishinoya - the ace and captain of Karsuno's female volleyball team. She was the reason the team had made it so far. With her raw talent, intelligence and great leadership, it was a surprise that anyone doubted Karasuno. She had shown promise from the very beginning, but the world only started to recognise her by her third year.

The final was amazing to watch. It had been a back and forth match from the very beginning, but everyone was sure Inarizaki Kōkō would win - especially when they won the first two sets.

"It's not over!" Yuki yelled during their break before the third set started. "We can win this! We have only lost by one point every set. One less mistake, one better spike, and we take the set!" All of the players were covered head to toe in sweat, and all but Yuki were sat on the bench forcing water down their throats. Yuki still stood tall, her long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, her cheeks red with sweat dripping from her brow. "Everyone has doubted us from the beginning, and everyone doubts us now, but we've proved them wrong every time! We are the crows, let us show them how we can fly!"

The team went into the third set with a whole new energy which Yuki never let falter. She was determined, and if she went down, she would go down fighting. The crowd cheered loudly when Karasuno won the third set with a six-point lead.

"Inarizaki Kōkō let down their guard. They thought we would be beaten so easily, but they will not make the same mistake twice! We must stay strong for this set, do exactly as we did and ensure we stay one step ahead every time!" The Karasuno captain gave another speech, and the team cheered and had more energy than before when they reentered the court.

The fourth set was far closer than the third. The match was at another deuce, but it was Yuki's time to serve, and she had a deadly hit when she wanted to. However, it had failed her earlier that day both in the first set and the second. She knew that this set would win or lose her the game. Yuki had to make a decision, was she confident enough in herself to ensure she would not mess it up? Could she hold her nerves?

The crowd around her grew silent, thousands, maybe even millions of eyes were watching her. Her teammates faced forward, but she knew what they'd all be thinking. Sweat dripped down from her brow onto the volleyball which she bounced onto the ground. Her eyes scanned the crowd, though because of the intense lights, all the people seemed blurry. But there was one who stood out. One small boy who was jumping out of his seat, the only one making a sound that matched the echo of the ball every time it hit the floor. It was her little brother. Yù Nishinoya, he was only a few years younger, but he loved volleyball as much as her. They locked eyes, and she raised her fist in the air, he copied her action, his grin growing. She knew what she had to do.

The whistle blew, and Yuki took a deep breath before throwing the ball high in the air. One step, two-step, three-step, jump. Yuki flew high, the crowd silenced in awe, but she was sure she heard the sound of crows around her. She watched the ball fall back down, and at her highest point, she swung her arm, landing a perfect connection with the ball and aiming for Inarizaki Kōkō's weakest player. Yuki's feet touched the ground just as the ball rebounded off the arms of an Inarizaki Kōkō player, getting herself a service Ace. Noise erupted around her and despite her teammates crowding her, she could see her little brother screaming in the crowd, tears of happiness streaming down his face.

"Same again," the captain mumbled to herself. She knew many words of encouragement were being said around her, but she blocked it out. She knew what she needed to do. Just as before, she locked eyes with her brother before holding a fist in the air, him matching it. It was like a ritual between the brother and sister, a symbol of unity between them — a rock for each other when they needed most. The whistle blew, and she did the same again. She watched the ball fly through the air, and everyone waited in anticipation. Before she could react, she was lifted into the air by her teammates. She got another service Ace.

The atmosphere in the stadium shifted. No one had expected a fifth set, let alone it existing from Karasuno being two sets down and bringing it back. "I've got nothing to say but for us to get our butts out there and win the nationals! LET'S SHOW THEM HOW THE CROWS FLY!"

Set five was just like the first two. Both teams were trading points, and none could get a steady lead. But the fifth set only went to fifteen points, rather than twenty-five like the others sets - though most of the players were thankful. They were all shattered, playing for so long at full energy was not an easy task. But that did not mean any of them would start slacking. It was what they had all been working for. All the long hours of training were building to that moment. Quickly, it became a deuce and a timeout was called when the score hit 18-18.

"I can't do this anymore!" One of Yuki's teammates cried.

"Yes, you can! This is not the time to give up! We have worked too hard to get here. We only need two points, and we win!" Yuki tried her best to sound firm, but her voice wobbled, it was impossible not to be exhausted at that point.

"How Nishinoya? We have not had the point lead once! We are always a step behind!" The libero cried, and Yuki hated to admit that she had a point. No matter how hard they tried, they could not get in front. The whole team looked to the captain and ace of the team.

"We have to do something they won't expect..." She mumbled.

"Like what? We've shown them everything we've got! What possibly could we do?"

Yuki placed a frustrated hand on her scrunched face as she tried to think of something, of anything. "I've got it..."

All the players stood back in their places. In the next few minutes, one of the two teams would be the winners of the nationals. Neither wanted second place, neither wanted to be the first losers. They had come all that way, and Yuki would do anything to make sure they would hold up that trophy.

Inarizaki Kōkō served, and Yuki's plan was put into place, it was a risk, but if successful it would guarantee them a point. "NOW!" The captain screamed, running forward at full speed towards the net, her friend - Ikumi mirrored her actions on the other side of the court. Karasuno's libero was someone Yuki had complete faith in and was technically the best on the team, so it came to no surprise that her plan started perfectly. The libero received the ball with ease and sent it towards Yuki who was already mid-jump. Inarizaki Kōkō blockers were quick, so it came to no surprise when their hands were in front of Yuki. But for once, she was not the spiker, just a decoy. Ikumi was on the other side of the court, mirroring Yuki's action mid-air. In a swift and sudden change of hands, Yuki's spike became a pass, and she launched the ball to Ikumi who spiked it down perfectly.

"YES!" Yuki could not help but scream. It was a risk, something she had never attempted before but it paid off, and for the first time that set, Karasuno was in the lead. The team gathered in a circle. "One more point!" She encouraged squeezing the teammates to her side. "Get the ball to me, and I promise. We will win this!" She looked to the setter who gave a determined nod. Yuki took her place as she waited for the serve, and she could not help but look over to her brother Yu who was once again in tears of happiness.

"YOU'VE GOT THIS YUKI!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, her name echoing through the stadium. She smiled broadly and held her fist up once again. He copied it, once last time before her focus returned fully to the game. She will win this.

The whistle blew, and the ball was served. It was easy for Inarizaki Kōkō libero to receive, but nerves were getting the better of them. She messed up the hit, sending the ball far to the side, forcing their players to scatter and pass it back without a spike attempt.

This was it. This was the time.

"OVER HERE!" Yuki yelled, running at full speed and leaping high in the air. The other side was open, it was clear, she could see the other side, she could see the trophy, but as the ball reached her hands so did the blockers. She had lost concentration, only for a moment and her spike was not enough. It rebounded off the blockers hands. Yuki watched the ball fall beside her. It was her fault. No one was close enough to get that ball. If they lost that point, it was over. They would never get the lead again.

With all the force she could muster Yuki pulled her head and body back, causing them to fall backwards first, but it allowed her right arm to stretch and re-hit the ball mid-air. It was only a small touch, but it was enough to get it on the net. Yuki watched the volleyball as it balanced on the net, everyone's breath stuck in their throat, and after a moment it fell and hit the floor on Inarizaki Kōkō's side.

However, Yuki had no time to cheer as her body hit the floor, her head and neck first, her legs followed but did not fall to the floor as expected, but bent over her backwards, putting her spine in an awkward state. A horrible crunch sound echoed through the stadium and silenced everyone.


	2. Assistant Coach

**Four years later**

Yuki Nishinoya, now twenty-two years old, sat in her room. Her long black hair straightened, and fringe lengthy meant that her face was barely visible. Her head was low as she sketched in her notepad. It was of the world just outside her window; of houses that continued down the busy street of parents and kids walking. She lived close to an elementary school, so every morning she'd watched the commotion that was her road.

Everyone lived such different lives, and with every child and parent, she saw she tried to think about how it would be going for them. Some parents were obviously exhausted but put on a broad smile for their kids who always seemed the happiest. While other parents were stuck with phones to their ears, their child trying to get their attention but ultimately ignored, she wondered what those children would be like in a few years.

This had become a typical morning for her over the last few years because she had nothing else to do. Her room was meant to be a sanctuary for her but felt more like a prison in the end. Her parents - despite their good intentions - had practically kept her away from the real world. Only in the last month was she allowed to leave the house alone, and that was only to see her brother at volleyball practice.

"YUKI?!" Yū, her little brother yelled, opening the door quickly and making her jump. "Are you still coming down today? To see about the coaching?" He was always so full of energy, and she nodded to him. "Yes! I'll see you then! I've got to go; otherwise, I'll be late. Bye!" He was practically bouncing up and down as he left and she watched him run down the street, bumping into many people on the way. The side of her lip twitched watching him. She used to be like that, bursting with energy all the time. She used to run to school every day, excited for the day ahead. Excited to see friends and eager to play volleyball with her teammates. She sighed deeply. Those were the days she missed the most; the days she knew she'd never experience again.

"Honey I'm going to the shops. I will be back soon. Would you like anything?" Yuki's mother popped her head into her room and asked, her voice high pitched and sickly sweet.

"No, I'm o-okay, thank you," Yuki replied, her voice quiet and removed. Yuki saw her mother's face slowly drop into the same look she had been giving her for the last three years. Yuki knew that her parents had struggled just as much as herself; they also missed their old bubbly child. Slowly her mother made her way into Yuki's room.

"Are you still doing that coaching thing later today?"

Yuki knew her mother did not approve of it - said it was dangerous, that if she got hit in the head, she could go back to the hospital. At first, the idea scared Yuki. Being back there. She was surrounded by nothing but white walls that slowly felt like they were closing around her; suffocating all her energy and spirit. She may have left that place a few years ago, but part of her felt it still had a hold of her. After three years, though, her own bedroom walls started to feel the same. Each day they got closer in. Each day she was closer to losing her mind. Each day she realised she was not living but surviving. She could not do that anymore, no matter how scared she was, she had to get out. She wanted to feel alive again, and volleyball was the only way she remembered how. Nothing ever came close to the feeling she felt when playing. She could never play again, but coaching was the next best thing.

"Uh - y-yes, I am," Yuki whispered, her eyes avoiding contact with her mother's. Yuki knew that her mother would try to talk her out of it again, and the younger woman was worried she would not be able to argue it. Since the accident her mother had been the voice of reason, the person always by her side when she needed it, so now, going against her wishes was a struggle for her.

"Let her go, darling, this will be good for her," Yuki's father was the one saving grace she truly had. He entered the room and placed a hand on her mother's shoulder. "She will make a great coach, and can keep an eye on Yú for us." He argued on her behalf, giving her a wink as he spoke. Yuki's father found it the hardest, in the beginning. Thinking he lost his little girl would drive anyone to the edge, but he realised as time had gone on he lost his little girl anyway. The only way to get her back was allowing her to refind herself.

Yuki's mother sighed. "I know. Just be careful, okay?" Yuki nodded and turned back to her desk, not wanting the conversation to continue. She knew her mother wanted to say something else, but her father pulled her away, sometimes, things were best left unsaid. When the door clicked shut, the twenty-two-year-old let out a breath she did not realise she was holding. Part of her expected more of a fight from her mother, one she did not want to be involved in and was happy when it did not happen.

Yuki leaned back on her chair as her eyes scanned her empty walls. Once upon a time, those walls were covered in posters, posters of the greatest volleyball players, varying from legends of old to the new rising stars. Her memories of her time during high school were limited, but she had a distinct memory of a poster of herself. She was not sure when - and had not asked her parents about it due to their protectiveness of the situation - but there was a segment about Yuki in the local paper which came with a large poster. It was a shot of her mid-jump and about to spike, her name across the bottom.

Yuki sighed as she looked down to her hand, her index finger tracing up and down her fingers to her palm. She remembered the feeling of a spike, the sting she'd feel just after hitting a ball at full speed, but no matter how hard she tried, she could not remember the spike she landed when that photo was taken. She had no memory of that day, it was such a significant moment in her career, and for the life of her, she could not remember. Frustrated, she dropped her head into her hands. All she knew was she was at Karasuno High School. She vividly remembered she was wearing the uniform in the photo and with a black marker she drew wings on her back - she remembered doing it, so she'd never forget where she came from. That no matter what happened - she would always be a crow. However, the issue was now, she had minimal memories from her time as a crow, and it irritated her at world's end.

Time flew by the long-haired woman who did nothing but sit at her desk and draw and the time to leave snuck up on her. Her phone beeped, and her head snapped towards the sound. She knew it was going to happen, but she still felt awfully unprepared. Maybe it was not such a good idea. Maybe it was best for her to stay in the safety of her home. Yuki stayed quiet as she reached for her phone, turning off the alarm. She sat back in her chair, phone in hand as she stared out of her window. Was this truly the best thing for her? What if something went wrong? Was it worth the risk to end up back in the hospital?

Yuki jumped as her phone once again started beeping, she looked at it frustrated realising she put it on snooze. This time she ensured to press the correct button, once again silencing the phone but as the alarm shut down, she saw her wallpaper. It was a picture of her and Yú - another one she could not remember being taken - in different volleyball uniforms. From what her little brother told her, the photo was taken when they were doing a charity volleyball game together. They were captains of their own team and were against each other, it was all for fun, and the winner did not matter - they had only done it to help raise money for a sports camp they use to go to as kids. Yuki remembered the camp; it was where they both learnt what volleyball was.

The phone vibrated again, a small ding sound rang out, and a message popped up.

_See you soon._

It was from Yú.

"See you soon," she mumbled to herself and forced herself to stand up. She did not allow herself to dwell on any thoughts because they all resulted in her doubting herself. She needed to do this, not just for herself but for her little brother too. "I'll se-see you in a bit dad," she said, forcing her voice to be strong despite her stutter as she opened the front door.

"You're going to do great hun." He told her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and placing a kiss on her head. "Come back with your brother, okay?" Yuki nodded before leaving.

The whole walk to Karasuno high school she fought back the urge to turn around and sprint back home before any damage could be done. Her heart and brain were arguing with each other on what was best for her, and honestly, she was not sure which was winning. It was only because Karasuno was so close to her house that she did not end up turning back, by the time she could comprehend what was happening, she was at the front doors of Karasuno's gym.

"I can s-still turn back. Yú h-has not s-seen me yet; I c-can tell him I-I fell asleep. It'll be f-f-fine; he won't be mad. He'll understand. He always does." Yuki mumbled to herself and was ready to turn back home.

"Yuki you're here!" But destiny had its own path for her to take. "Nishinoya has not shut up about it since you agreed to the idea!" Daichi was the team captain of the volleyball team and gently smiled at the older yet shorter woman. Mentally she wanted to scream in frustration, but she turned to face him with a faint smile.

"D-daichi," she bowed quickly, her nerves spiking.

"Come on; everyone's waiting."

Yuki had met Yú's teammates before, some only once like the first years while the second and third years she had met on multiple occasions. Tanaka was the one she got to know the best, some days he'd spend the day at the house and Yú was always eager to involve his older sister in anything they were doing. Yú often would fight with Tanaka if he'd say anything inappropriate, but over time the skinhead became like another little brother, and they were both very protective of her. The others she saw when their mother would offer to pick Yú up, and Yuki was able to join her. Her little brother was cheeky and would insist on staying longer than their mother wanted, always ensuring his sister would be involved in whatever activity he was doing and in turn she spent time with his teammates. All of them knew about the incident four years ago, and it was an unspoken rule for it never to be mentioned.

Only one time, she had visited Yú on her own at Karasuno, and she ensured to wait at the gate. The doctors had told her to help revitalise the memories she should go to places that could trigger a memory, and she was sure Karasuno would hold many. But she was afraid to have them back. Fearful that once they returned, she would live in her mind of a world she wished she had back. But she could not let fear control her life anymore.

Daichi led the quiet girl to the doors of the gym, and each stride she could feel her nerves building, the sweat in her palms increasing and her breathing rising. This was it. This was the moment she was going to make a change. Yuki knew Daichi was speaking to her, but his voice only came as a muffle to her ears. She saw his hand on the doors, and he pushed it open, a bright light blinding her for a second.

_"Nishinoya, why are you so late?" Izumi asked, jogging over to her friend, who was pulling her hair into a ponytail._

_"Sorry, my brat of a brother forgot his stupid volleyball shoes, I had to go give them to him. But I'm here now so let's get going." Eighteen-year-old Yuki clapped her hands loudly, catching the attention of all of her teammates, they quickly all gathered in._

_"Finally decided to turn up, did you?" Akari - the female volleyball coach - sassed, a hand on her hip and eyebrow cocked._

_"Sorry coach. Won't happen again."_

_"Better not, otherwise I actually have to do something."_

_Yuki laughed. "A coach actually coaching, that's crazy talk right there." The team and coach laughed. The coach was not lazy; she was the one that set up all their matches, while Yuki was the one who helped the team in training. The captain faced her teammates. "Okay girls, I need to warm up but while I do read through these notes. It's things I picked up during our practise match and think we should work on for today." All the girls nodded, taking the notes from her hand before she ran off around the court._

"Yuki you're here!" Yú ran over to her before Daichi had a chance to announce her arrival. All the boys stopped what they were doing, but Tanaka was quick to get them moving again. Despite Yú knowing Yuki hated attention, he never could keep his mouth shut when he saw her, always ensuring eyes ended up on her. Yuki's cheeks flared up at the sudden recognition, and she lowered her head using her hair to cover it. "Hey, coach, come meet my sister!"

"Don't worry about it. You're going to do great." Daichi told her with a friendly smile, hand on her shoulder and the other showing a thumbs up.

"Th-thank you D-Daichi," she mumbled before he ran off to join the rest of his team. Regardless of how red her cheeks where she forced herself to look up. Her eyes scanned her environment. Nothing seemed unfamiliar, yet nothing looked familiar. The sound of the volleyball getting hit was like a throbbing in her head. Every hit on the ball was a pulse in her brain, and every bounce on the floor was a thump in her skull - and every other second she would hear the squeak of a pair of shoes sliding along the urethane top surface of the wood floor.

_"Niko, come here!" Yuki yelled, frustrated and the first year froze. "You have not done anything wrong, just come." Most of the girls made sure not to anger their captain as she sure as hell frightened all of them when she was, so it was no surprise Niko was startled when she heard the irritated sound in Yuki's voice._

_"Yes, captain?" The first year with a blonde bob cut asked, nervous as to why she would want to talk to her._

_"Here take these," Yuki told her, pulling out a pair of brand new shoes from her bag. Niko was confused._

_"Wh-what why?"_

_"Was it not your birthday last week?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Well, there you go. My birthday present to you. Here take them."_

_Niko slowly took them from her captain's hands. "You did not have to," she finally spoke._

_"Actually I did," Yuki answered. "The shoes you're wearing now makes a horrible sound every time you slide on the floor with them, and it's driving me insane." Yuki smiled and ruffled the younger girl's head, seeing the embarrassment on her face. "The shoes are good because it was your birthday, but they also help me out too. It's a win-win," she winked to her before walking off. "Put them on now, and please for the love of God never wear those other ones again; otherwise, I will personally destroy them!"_

"Ah, so you're the famous sister Nishinoya has been telling me about. I'm the coach of the team. You can call me Ukai." A man who towered over her spoke and was not one she recognised.

"It- it's nice to m-meet you, sir. I am Y-y-yuki Nishinoya!" The young women splurted out before she had the chance to think and bowed quickly, her arms by her side and head down.

"Please don't call me sir," he panicked. "We are going to be working together - just call me Ukai, okay?" Yuki slowly raised back up and nodded shyly, her cheeks redder than before - not that anyone could see it with her hair hiding it. "Uh - let's go take a seat," he said awkwardly. When Nishinoya told him he had a sister who wanted to help with coaching, he expected a literal female version of himself. A short girl - which to be fair she was short just not as short as her brother - who had too much energy to contain but this girl, well she was quite the opposite. She was a bundle of nerves rather than a bundle of energy.

The two walked quickly to the other side of the hall and Ukai had no idea how to interact with the woman. When he first agreed to the idea of an assistant coach, he wanted to be tough and ensure there was so slacking, but how could he do that with her? She looked like she'd break under any sort of pressure. What had Nishinoya brought him into?

Yuki tried her best to avoid any eyes and attempted to keep her hands from shaking. She knew how pathetic she must have looked to the coach; he probably was wondering why such a burden was being placed on him. Her shoulders were hunched forward as he told her to take a seat. She did as he asked and was surprised that his tone had become less harsh. It was almost as if in the beginning, he was trying to show a presence of dominance and strength and now realised it was not needed for someone like her. Yuki could not help but sigh sadly. What was she doing?

"So - uh - for this first session, to see where your head is at with everything I - uh - would like you to complete this." The coach handed her a whiteboard that had many small magnets on it with the names of every player on the team. "I want you to watch today's practise and tell me who you'd put in the starting lineup."

"Y-yes sir - I mean Ukai - s-sorry - C-coach Ukai," she bowed her head forward flustered as tears welled up in her eyes. She was a mess; she could not even get his name correct. She could see his feet turn and start to walk away, slowly she looked up but only for a ball to be hurling towards her.

"WATCH IT, YOU IDIOTS!" Ukai screamed, blocking the ball just in time not to hit Yuki's face, she stayed frozen for a moment, and her eyes glanced up at the blond coach. It did seem to bother him as he walked off to the rest of the boys.

"Hey, coach!" Nishinoya jogged over to Ukai.

"What do you want?"

"Make sure to call my sister Yuki and not Nishinoya," Yú told him, making the coach raise an eyebrow.

"She never told me that."

"She doesn't say a lot, just trust me on it."

"Why did you never tell me she was like this? I expected her to be like you and be a little brat that will be a pain in the ass!"

"Be careful of what you say, she is my sister, and I don't care if you're my coach I will-"

"I did not mean it in a bad way," Ukai interrupted the little ball of energy as he turned to glance at Yuki who watched Hinata and Kageyama practise their quick attack. "She's just, not what I expected."

"Would you rather her being like me and a pain in your ass?"

"Not really I j-"

"Then why are you complaining?" Nishinoya had a point. "This will be really good for her, and she will be good for us. Just give her a chance, please?" Ukai did not realise the short boy had a soft side to him, but he seemed to care for his sister, which made part of him worry. He wanted an assistant coach to help him make the team better, not just to make one his players happy.

"It's not like you've given me much of a choice in this," he mumbled, and after a moment he straightened up. "Get back to training idiot," he pushed the younger boy's head away from him and walked off.

For the whole session, Yuki did not move from her spot; she solely watched and observed the session that was happening. A few memories resurfaced, but they were only small, and she did her best to push them down. She did not see the need to dwell on the past when she had a chance to create a better future for herself. It was easy to see the starting lineup and had done that pretty early into the session; it was useful that she already knew the names of every player; otherwise, she would have been screwed. By the end, she almost had a smile on her face watching a friendly match between themselves. Yú would get excited every time he saved a ball and would look at her yelling _'Yuki did you see that?'_ which every time she'd reply, _'sorry I missed it'_ causing him to stick his tongue out at her.

"How did you do?" The coach pointed to the whiteboard as the boys started cleaning up the equipment.

"Uh - I t-think I did o-okay," she nervously said, stumbling to lift it and give it to him. "I d-don't know if that's w-what y-you have, but t-that is what m-my starting line up w-would be - I finished i-it quite quickly a-and added a few n-notes on the side," she spoke fast as she pointed to her handwriting in the corner, her handshaking. She pulled it back instantly. "So-sorry coach y-you never asked me to do that; it-t won't h-happen again." She bowed, her cheeks once again flaring up before sprinting off towards the door where her brother was waiting.

Ukai looked down at the whiteboard he gave her.

"How did she do?" Ittetsu Takeda asked, pushing his glasses onto his nose as he stared at the whiteboard.

Ukai looked up and smirked as he watched Yuki leave the building. "I think we've got a good chance at winning the inter-highs."


	3. Understanding

_ "Food is on me girls!" Yuki yelled as she wiped the sweat off her face with a towel. "I think after such a tough day of training, it is well deserved." The team cheered loudly - especially the first years - and Izumi walked over to her. _

_ "I thought you had to pick up your little brother?" _

_ "Fuck, I forgot about that." The captain grumbled. "Change of plan," her voice echoed. "I will meet you there. Start ordering without me, and I'm sure I'll arrive around the same time as the food." _

_ "Are you sure you want to bring your brother with all of - us?" Her friend asked, her hands signalling to the girls. "You know how he gets, and I'm sure some of the girls are scared of him." _

_ Yuki scratched the side of her head as she watched her teammates pack the equipment away. "Right - you've got a point. I'll just make sure to keep him in check. A smack over the head for each inappropriate comment seems fair." Yuki smiled at her friend, content with her decisions. _

_ "You'll give him a concussion," Izumi answered with a deadpan look. The two shared a silent glance before bursting into laughter. Their teammates muttering to each other confused on the random outburst from the ace and vice-captain. _

"Yuki, what are you getting to eat?" Tanaka yelled, catching the girl's attention.

"Uh - I-I haven't decided yet," Yuki mumbled a reply, her eyes glancing up to him with a small smile before quickly looking back to the menu. After the practice, Daichi had offered to buy food for the team as a celebration for the new assistant coach - though she told them many times that Ukai had not confirmed or denied whether she was the new assistant coach or not.

"So what did Coach get you to do? Was he mean? Sometimes he can be mean!" Hinata's voice was loud as he asked many questions to the older women.

"N-no, he was nice-"

"He better be otherwise I'll beat his ass!" Yú yelled standing up, Tanaka joining him, their fists in the air.

"Sit down!" Daichi told the two boys off, they were acting like scoundrels in a public place and they instantly listened sitting back down. Yuki had to admit; she had the utmost respect for the captain, he had sure been given a handful with the crazy first and second years.

"What did he ask you to do?" Suga - the vice-captain of the team - asked, his voice far gentler than the small redhead.

All eyes were on Yuki, and she shifted uncomfortably. "He asked m-me to pick a s-starting lineup," she answered quietly, her eyes avoiding contact. After a second of silence, her eyes shifted back up to see everyone was eagerly waiting for her to continue.

"Who did you put? Was it me? I know I'm short, but I can jump! I hope you saw my quick at-" Hinata started to ramble but was shut up by Kageyama smacking him over the head.

"Shut up, idiot!" His aggressive aura even caused Yuki to back down.

"Carry on," Suga smiled.

"I h-hope no one t-takes o-offence," she started, once again her palms becoming clammy - not only was she anxious with so many eyes on her, now, she was also worried about who she may offend. She only watched one practise session. What if she was completely wrong? What if they laughed at her? Her right hand tugged at the bottom of her left sleeve and picked at frayed pieces. "M-my starting s-six would b-b-be Daichi," she paused and internally panicked, would she have to explain her reasoning behind each one? "B-because of your r-receives, I think apart f-from Yú you h-have by f-far the b-best," Yuki paused as she waited for their reaction, fear striking deep as to what they might say.

"Not wrong there," Asahi commented, and she was pleasantly surprised to see smiles on all the team's faces as they waited for her to continue.

Her head lifted somewhat as she spoke again. "Asahi was m-my next choice. His p-power in his spikes alone m-makes him p-pretty viable for the s-starting lineup and s-same with Tanaka. I think they'd both make p-pretty good wing s-spikers."

"Yes, I do!" Tanaka cheered but was quickly silenced by Daichi's glare.

Yuki could not help but breathe out a laugh. "Tsukishima is the t-tallest on the team s-so one way or another h-he has to b-be on the team, easy b-blocks that way and the last two - w-w-well this where I h-had a little b-bit of a s-struggle. S-suga, Kageyama, you're both s-setters, right?" Both their eyes widened at the question but nodded nonetheless. "I thought so; I s-struggled b-between you two. On the one hand, it's obvious you," she pointed to Suga, "have been playing with D-daichi and Asahi since the f-first year and t-the team trusts you. However, you," she looked to Kageyama, "have incredible s-skill and accuracy with the b-ball. I was s-stuck on who'd b-be b-better with the team as a whole, b-but then I saw that quick attack. I've never seen anything like it-"

"It's pretty cool right!" Hinata once again shouted, jumping up into the air. "I run like  _ whoosh _ and then hit the ball like  _ bam _ !"

"Yeah," Yuki laughed at the little ball of energy, "it's p-pretty cool." Hinata's eyes grew in awe.

"You're just as awesome as Nishinoya!" He cried aloud before Kageyama forced him to sit back into his chair, causing everyone to chuckle.

Despite how uncomfortable Yuki was to have so much pressure from the situation, the relief she felt after was a feeling she had not felt for some time. Yuki was so afraid to be judged and misunderstood that when she looked up to see all their smiles, her heart surged with joy. She stayed quiet for the rest of the dinner but was happy listening to all the discussions that happened around her. She laughed and smiled; the team was like an odd family. Daichi and Suga were like the father and mother of four crazy children that consisted of Tanaka, Yū, Kageyama and Hinata - while everyone else was the cousins and uncles that were embarrassed by them but loved them anyway.

"Come on Yuki, let's get going otherwise mum and dad are going to have a fit!" Yū said as he stood with a stretch.

Yuki looked at the time, it was late, and she groaned when she saw the missed calls from her parents. She had gotten so engulfed by everything around her, the time had simply gotten away from her - so bad that Yū had to be the one to call it home time. She was sure she was going to get a lecture once she got home.

"B-before we go I j-j-just want to say thank you," Yuki's voice was far weaker than she would have liked. "I was - uh - p-pretty worried about today, b-but you guys h-have made me f-feel really welcome, and if I do b-b-become the a-assistant coach I p-promise I will try my b-best for you all!" She babbled and bowed instantly when she finished her last word. There were a few chuckles, and Yuki felt tears brim her eyes. Had she said something wrong?

"Thank  _ you _ for deciding to become the assistant coach!" A hand was placed on her shoulder, resulting in her to look up. It was Daichi. "We've got a strong team, but we need guidance. You and Coach Ukai are going to allow us to become the best we can be and we promise we're going to work as hard as we can!" The captain held a broad smile as the rest of the team agreed. Despite the nerves that surfaced, she gave a confident smile back. She had a team now, and she would not let them down.

As predicted when Yuki got home, her parents did lecture her. Telling her she should have phoned or texted - which in hindsight she should have, but she was distracted. For the first time, she was spending time with people other than her family- people who were actually somewhat close to her age. She was a few years older, but she felt her old self returning. It was only a glimpse, but it was nice to know someone where deep down, her old self still existed. It just needed a reason to return.

-

"Yes, sir - s-sorry - Ukai - Coach Ukai!" Despite having a feeling of her old self did not mean the next practice she was any better at controlling her nerves.

"Just call me Ukai - remember I said forget coach. Okay?" He replied as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly watching the women bow at a 90-degree angle again.

"Yes, o-okay that works, s-sorry..." She could not help but mumble, making the blonde hair man laugh.

"Don't stress about it. I wanted to talk about the notes you put -"

"I'm s-so s-sorry about that! It w-won't happen aga-"

"Did I not just say don't stress?" Ukai chuckled. "Look, your notes were good," Yuki eyes widened. "So good that I'm going to give you this." Ukai pulled out a small black notepad from his pocket and handed it to Yuki, who stared in awe. "At the end of each session, I'll look over your notes. It's good to get a different perspective." He gave a big grin before ruffling her head, seeing her emotions did not change. "Lightened up will ya? I don't bite!"

"Y-yes, si- Ukai!" She bowed once again, causing him to huff a laugh before walking towards the team. Yuki scolded herself for once more for screwing up her sentences. There was something about him being a coach that added pressure whenever they talked and she had far less control of her strutter. He was the one who could get rid of her, even if the team did like her, they did not have the last say.

The dark-haired woman looked to the notebook he gave her; it was brand new. She hoped he did not buy it just for her. Her face paled as she felt the pressure double on her shoulders. Yuki groaned loudly and took a seat onto the floor. She needed to get a hold of herself.

"Yuki, what are you doing on the floor?" She had no idea where the voice came from, but she was back onto her feet in seconds.

"I'm n-not the floor, w-why would I b-be on the floor," she sputtered as Yū ran over to her.

"You okay big sis?" He asked and she replied with a broad smile - though it never met her eyes.

"W-why wouldn't I b-be? Now b-bugger off and get p-practising!" She forced her voice to be strong, but it turned into a fake sickly sweet which Yú raised an eyebrow to.

"Are you su-"

"J-j-just go! Look, Ukai is waiting!" Yú was unconvinced, but Ukai was looking over to him; he sighed softly before jogging over to his coach and teammates.

Yuki exhaled a large amount of air as she leaned on the wall behind her. She was not sure why she was so stressed. All she wanted to do was not to screw up; she wanted to impress. Her memories might be missing, but her understanding of volleyball itself was not lacking. It was something she grew up with and something she had always loved. She did not remember, but deep down she knew the reason Karasuno got to the national finals was because of her knowledge of the game. She struggled to believe that they were lucky enough to get six fantastic players, they got to the finals much more than pure skill.

The twenty-two-year-old was quick to the bench to sit down and watch the practise like last time. She was happy to sit, observe and analyse and write down whatever seemed necessary. For the first part of the practice, she simply watched - her eyes like a hawk ensuring to spot everything and anything that needed improvement - which for this team was much. There were very small and unneeded mistakes done by many of the group - mainly the first years - and if their basics did not improve, they would get nowhere. For the second half of the session, Yuki was writing furiously, and Ukai could not help but wonder what was going on in her mind to make her write so fast.

"I will not lie, I am very curious on what has you so concentrated," Ukai laughed as he approached Yuki - who still was writing quickly despite the practise session coming to an end. Her head shot up at his voice, and her cheeks burned when she realised everyone was packing away.

"S-sorry I g-got so d-distracted-"

"What did I say before? Stop stressing - and stop apologising! I think I've heard you say sorry more than anything else!" He could not help but be a little annoyed; there was no reason for her to keep apologising.

"Sorry," she mumbled before quickly throwing her hands over her mouth, she slowly looked up to Ukai who stood tall, expecting him to tell her off again, but instead he huffed a laugh and sat down next to her. He had come to realise that the best approach towards her would-be kindness, he was not sure why she was so scared and timid, but he did not want to make it worse. It was apparent from the last time she had a good eye for volleyball, and he did not want to scare her away.

"Are you going to show me what you've been writing or...?"

"Y-yes, of c-course - h-here you g-go!" She practically shoved the notepad into his hands. "I thought t-today I w-would f-focus more on i-individuals rather t-than as a-a team." Yuki dug her fingers into her palms, frustrated as she struggled not to strutter. "I did pros and c-cons for e-everyone, to see w-where we are at. F-for s-some like H-Hinata, I added p-possible drills h-he could do t-to improve on s-specific aspects." Ukai nodded understandably as his eyes scanned the information and mentally she worried how annoyed he was getting with her stutter - it was worse than usual. As it grew quiet between the two Yuki sunk in her seat, feeling smaller with every second that went by. Ukai was not speaking,and all of Yuki’s thoughts were negative. Did he think she was stupid? Did he regret giving her another chance? Did she write too much? Or not enough?

"This is good," his voice pulled her out of her own anxiety. "This is really good." He turned his head to face her. "Do you mind if I take this home so I can have a good look over it? I'll give it back next practise." Yuki nodded quickly, her eyes wide in surprise. "Alright, get going, we can talk about this next training, your brother is waiting." Yuki looked to the direction he nodded towards, to in fact see her brother waiting with Tanaka at the doors.

"T-thank y-you, Ukai!" She gave a 90-degree bow before running off, her bag clutched between her arms and chest.

Ukai watched with a confused expression. "Thank you for what? Very strange..." He mumbled as Takeda took a seat beside him.

"How was today?" The advisor asked the blond coach.

"Good." Ukai handed the man with glasses the notepad. "She knows her stuff; we just need to get her more comfortable with the team."

"And why is that?"

"So she can coach properly. If I can focus on certain aspects with the older lot, she can ensure people like Hinata have the fundamentals down before going further with the rest of the team. Because I hate to admit it, but our biggest struggle with the team right now is the basics. We cannot go into the inter-highs not knowing how to serve and receive - no matter how good that quick attack is, we'll still be an embarrassment!"

"How are you going to do that?"

"I've got an idea," Ukai smirked as he grabbed the notepad back from Takeda before placing it back into his pocket.


	4. Karasunos Boys Volleyball Team

Yuki Nishinoya sat in her bedroom, her sketchbook open on her desk and a pencil between her lips. She had been in the same position for most of the night and well into the morning. That night, she could not get to sleep, no matter how hard she tried. Nothing helped to relax her mind, not a cup of warm milk, not counting sheep or changing the position of her pillows, and eventually, she gave up, her mind was on fast forward, and whatever was aching inside needed to come out.

Five am was the time that she finally caved into letting her mind control her actions. She was half asleep as she dragged herself to her desk, a new plain piece of paper was pulled from her drawers, and her hand began to draw. Yuki was not conscious of what was being drawn; she just allowed it to happen.

By nine am, her drawing was complete, and Yuki was fast asleep at her desk. Head rested on the wood surface, and her left arm hung off the edge of the side, a pencil balanced between her fingertips on the verge of falling to the floor. She lightly snored as the sound of children’s and parents' voices bouncing off of her window - she was in a deep sleep and would not be awoken so easily.

One pm was the time that Yuki's mother - Saza Nishinoya - finally decided to check on her daughter. She had not seen her all morning and was wondering why the younger girl had not gone to get some food yet. With two light knocks on her daughter's door, she waited. Nothing. She knocked again. But nothing. So instead she slowly opened the door.

"Honey, are you okay?" She asked, her voice laced with concern. The door creaked open, and when she popped her head into the room, her frown turned into a smile. There was her daughter, sleeping soundly on her desk, it was not the first time this had happened, but it was in a long time. Yuki used to do it many times as a child, she would often tell her daughter off for staying up so late especially with school in the morning, but Yuki would always answer, " _ I can't mummy, my brain won't stop moving until I draw it! _ "

Saza walked over to her sleeping daughter and placed a delicate kiss on top of her head before humming a quiet tune and stroking her hair. Saza stroked her hand over her daughter's fringe, pulling it back and revealing her sleeping face. Saza missed seeing it, ever since the accident Yuki would wear her hair down with a long fringe which covered her face all the time. She wished her daughter would one day wear her hair back as she used to because she was beautiful and it was sad that she would hide it from the world.

Saza's humming stopped when she spotted the drawing that laid under Yuki's arm. Careful, she lifted her child's arm and slipped the piece of A4 paper from her grasp. The picture was simple; it was a birdcage with a crow sat on the inside; its head poking out of the open cage door. Saza could not help but smile. She only thought about the negatives that came with being the volleyball coach, not once did she think there would be any positives - but that drawing was proving otherwise. She had to let her little girl find her wings again. Saza placed the paper back onto the desk before walking back downstairs.

**Beep Beep. Beep Beep.** Yuki's head shot up from the desk, her hair a mess and a drool halfway out of her mouth. She stared into space, still half asleep as she blinked quickly to try and wake herself up. Slowly, she started to remember what had happened - though she had no memory of falling asleep. She groaned as a sudden ray of sunshine entered her eyes. She blocked it with her right hand as her left wiped her mouth.  **Beep Beep. Beep Beep.** Her phone sat on the desk beside her; she picked it up as she stretched her legs.

_ See you soon, sis! I can't wait to show you what I've been working on! _

It was from Yū, she smiled for a moment, but it quickly fell. "See you soon?" She mumbled. Her eyes flicked to the time.  _ 15:10 _ . Yuki nearly fell off her chair from the shock. She was going to be late for practice. She rummaged through her closest, looking for something suitable to wear before rushing to the bathroom. She had not even showered yet; she looked back to the time.  _ 15:13 _ . She had no time; practice started at 15:20. Yuki looked at herself in the mirror - she was a mess - she could not go to Coach looking like that, but she also could not be late. She would have to improvise.

First Yuki soaked herself in deodorant - the last thing she wanted was to smell. Then she grabbed a mouthful of mouthwash as she took a piss. She grabbed her hairbrush as she spat out the mouthwash - which left her cheeks burning - and ran out of the house.

_ Yū tell Ukai I will be late and that I am sorry! _

Yuki's phones turned off before she could send the message. "S-shit, " she cursed, she had not put her phone on charge. She stuffed it back into her pocket and increased her walking pace as she brushed her messy hair. She groaned every time she found a knot and tugged at it as hard as she could to pull it out. Part of her worried that by the time she arrived at the gym, she would look more like a mess than when she left the house.

Once her hair felt brushed and sufficient, her fast walking became a sprint. She could not be late. What would Ukai think? What would he do? He could get rid of her. As more thoughts ran through her mind, the faster she ran. She would not lose this; she needed it.

"I'm s-s-sorry I'm late!" She called out as she busted the doors of the gym open. Everyone turned to face her and Ukai was closest. She gave a 90-degree bow before speaking quickly. "P-please forgive m-me Ukai, I'm s-so s-sorry I was up a-all night d-drawing and I o-overslept it-"

"Whoa didn't I tell you not to stress little crow?" Ukai cut her off, confused by the outburst and speed of her words, he looked at his watch and chuckled. "You're only five minutes late."

"S-still, I should no-"

"I don't want to hear it. It's fine."

"Bu-" This time Yuki stopped herself, Ukai gave her a look that told her to shut up. "S-sorry." He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue and embarrassed she lowered her head. "I s-shouldn't s-stress."

"Exactly!" He beamed. "Now follow me. I've got a surprise." Yuki watched him walk away, and she felt a wave of nerves wash over her. A surprise? What type of surprise could he possibly have? "Come on," he placed a hand on her shoulder when he saw she would not move. "You'd think with a brother as a Libero you'd walk faster, " he mumbled to himself, ensuring Yuki did not hear.

Yuki walked next to Ukai -whose hand stayed on her shoulder to ensure she'd keep up - and she watched as the rest of the team gathered. Her fingernails dug into her palms as she tried to hold down her nerves and try to figure out what was happening.

"Alright," Ukai stopped walking and turned to face Yuki when everyone had gathered around, all eyes were on her, and she was sure to keep her eyes on the floor. "This is for you," Slowly her eyes raised, and she was met with a black jacket.

"F-for me?" She squeaked. Ukai nodded. "A-are you s-sure?"

"I'm sure," he answered, nudging the jacket closer to her, and hesitantly she took it from his hands, he gave a smirk before moving away from her to reveal the rest of the team.

"Welcome to Karasuno's boys volleyball team!" All of them shouted in unison as they turned and pointed to the back of their jackets.

_ "This is awesome!" Yuki yelled, grabbing her jacket from her captain, causing the upperclassmen to chuckle. She was quick to put it on. "Do I look cool?" She asked Izumi. "Actually, don't answer that, I know I do!" Yuki posed, her hands on her hips and chest puffed out. _

_ "I think you would look better with this," The captain of the girl's volleyball team said, pushing a box towards them. Yuki was quick to open it. "NO WAY!" She said in awe as she pulled out the volleyball team uniform. "They're so cool!" _

_ "Does she know any other word?" The Ace of the team laughed. _

_ "I know enough for volleyball!" Yuki answered with a grin unfazed by the older girl. _

_ "What are you going to do when you don't play volleyball anymore?" _

_ "Why won't I play anymore?" Yuki asked, her expression serious, surprising the upperclassmen. _

_ "I mean, we are just a high school team," the captain awkwardly chuckled, "this won't be forever." _

_ "I want to continue playing after high school; I want to play for Japan one day." Yuki looked at her uniform. "I don't know what I would do if I couldn't play volleyball anymore." _

"Hey, are you okay little crow?" Ukai pulled Yuki from her deep though; tears welled up in her eyes as she saw everyone's faces grow with concern.

"T-thank you for a-allowing m-me t-to join! I p-p-promise I w-will not let y-you d-down!" She gave a 90-degree bow, allowing her hair to hide her emotions.

The rest of the practice went on as normal. Ukai had returned her little book, and she continued jotting down her notes. She decided to watch Hinata more closely than all the others - he had the most room to grow, and she was figuring out the best way for that to happen. It would not occur overnight, but finding a way to speed it up would be ideal.

"What have you got for me today?" Yuki passed over the notepad to answer Ukai's question. "Focusing on Hinata, huh?"

Yuki nodded. "I t-think he has t-the m-most room to g-grow in the t-team. I think if w-we c-can h-help him he can g-go f-far."

"I agree, if he could get good technique with his speed and jump-"

"He could be unstoppable," Yuki finished for him, giving a small smile when he turned to face her.

"Exactly." He returned the smile and gave back the notebook. The two sat in silence, watching the team pack up the equipment. Yuki felt uncomfortable in the quiet; she felt she should have started a conversation, but words were no longer much use to her, she doubted he would want to hear her stutter on every word, but once again, destiny had its own plans. Yuki's stomach gave a loud low grumble, her eyes widened surprised, and Ukai looked at her, amused. "Are you hungry?"

"I g-guess, I d-didn't get a c-chance to eat b-before leaving the house, I-I was t-to s-s-scared about b-being late," she answered sheepishly, her cheeks burning red.

"Get going then," he chuckled, "you will not find food here, especially with those two around," he nodded towards Hinata and Yū. "For two short guys, they sure eat a lot."

Yuki agreed. "My m-mother m-makes extra for h-him, has d-done f-from a y-young age." She stood and gave a small bow. "I h-hope you ha-have a g-good weekend Ukai." Just as she turned to leave, her stomach gave another loud growl; she was ready to run to her brother, embarrassed.

"Here, take this, it's not a lot, but it will satisfy your hunger until you get home." Yuki's eyes glanced up, Ukai was holding out a chocolate bar.

"W-what n-no I c-can't, it's y-yours-"

"Yes but I also work in a shop, and you're far more hungry than I am, I wish I had something better to give you really."

"I ca-" Her stomach growling cut her off, and Ukai raised his eyebrows, she gave a shy smile before taking it from his hands. "Thank you. S-see y-you Monday." She bowed before walking off to her brother and his friends.

The volleyball team walked together for most of the way home. They talked and laughed together while Yuki listened just like she did at the restaurant. Though this time she was not so invested in their conversation, her eyes were reading over her notes, and she could not help but glance at the little redhead. She needed to start helping him.

"H-hinata," her voice croaked, he turned to face her.

"Yes?"

"I w-want to give y-you s-s-something to work o-on o-over the w-weekend. Is th-that okay?" Hinata's eyes grew wide, and he nodded quickly. "I want you t-to try and w-work on your r-receives by closing your e-eyes." Hinata's head quirked to the side, confused.

"With my eyes closed?"

Yuki nodded. "Try throwing t-the b-b-ball s-straight up into the a-air, and w-when it is o-on the way down I w-want y-you to s-s-shut your eyes. W-when you w-watch the b-ball, it m-makes you overthink and you m-mess up."

"I don't understand. How will I be able to receive it if I can't see it? I won't be able to time the hit properly." Hinata was confused.

"Just g-give it a g-go, okay? It'll s-start to m-make s-sense."

"I will do my best Coach Nishinoya!" Yuki cringed at her last name, but he did not notice as he bowed before running off. He was eager to learn, and she would use that to her advantage.


	5. Freedom

Saturday mornings were always the same in the Nishinoya household. Pancake Saturday's her parents had called it. Despite the unoriginal name, the story behind it was quite beautiful. It was how Yuki and Yū's parents met. They would tell the story so often that the children knew the story word by word, and at the simple mention of it, both would groan, though Yuki secretly loved it. Deep down, she was a hopeless romantic and hoped one day she could tell such a wonderful story to her children.

"What are you planning on doing today Yuki?" Yū asked with a mouthful of pancakes - most would grimace at the sight, but after sixteen years of living with him, she got used to it.

"I'm not s-sure," she replied, her eyebrows scrunched together at the realisation. Since she started being the volleyball coach, she had something to look forward to each day, and now she was not sure what to think. Without the Volleyball coaching, what else could she do? The only other hobby she had was drawing, but that involved staying in her room - and that was the last thing she wanted.

"H-have you g-got any p-p-plans?"

"I was thinking go hang out with Tanaka today; you can join-"

"Have you completed that homework?" Their mum interrupted.

"Eh - I was going to do it with Tanaka?" Yū tried to give his biggest smile, but their mum's dark glare did not budge.

"Or I can just stay home and do homework," he muttered, earning a smile and nod from their mother. He groaned and looked at Yuki. "Can you help me?" Yuki laughed but agreed.

The two spent the morning and early afternoon working doing his homework. They laughed and talked and honestly, there was not much work being done. Yú was the only one that Yuki stuttered far less around, but only when they were alone. She found comfort and could relax around him. Unlike her parents who, she felt like, pitied her ever since that day, while Yú treated her the same.

"How are you finding the coaching?" He asked.

"Good, I gave Hinata s-something to practise over the weekend, s-so s-should be interesting to see him next training." She gave a bright smile.

"Have you got anything for me?" Her little brother grew excited like a puppy dog seeing a treat.

"Like s-something for you to practise?" She asked, her head tilting to the side, confused. He nodded enthusiastically. "Uh - I'm - I'll have to t-think about it."

"Awesome! I'm going to tell Tanaka!" Yū was out of the door before she had a chance to answer. She chuckled to herself when she heard the door slam, for a sixteen-year-old boy he sure was excitable. She went downstairs to talk to her parents but was surprised to see she was alone. She stood in the middle of the hallway perplexed. She did not know what to do, and her body was itching to do something that was outside.

With new determination, the younger woman made her way up the stairs and to her parent's bedroom. Volleyball was not the only sport she was good at; she was also a runner. Her parents had told Yuki they had gotten rid of all her uniforms and sports gear - but she knew that was a lie, her mother was a hoarder.

Yuki was rummaging for a while through her parent's bedroom, but she had found nothing. Was her gear truly gone? She gave a deep sigh, gutted that her sports life seemed to have disappeared. As she walked out of her parent's room and started to shut the door, she saw that under the bed hid a drawer. She had not seen it before; the handle was carved into the wood.

Cautiously Yuki approached the hidden drawer; deep down, she knew that is where her parents had hidden everything. They would not want to get rid of so many years of her life, but they also did not want her to find it. Her fingers slipped into the camouflaged handle, and with a quick breath, she tugged it hard, cracking the seal and revealing the contents inside.

_ "Are you sure you want me to be Captain? I'm sure Izumi would be a better fit," Yuki told the third year Captain as she stared at the Karasuno uniform, the number one seeming daunting. _

_ "I've known you were going to be the Captain for a very long time. The girls listen and respect you. When the first year's joined, you took them under your wing," the older girl told her. "I hate to admit it, but they've seen you as their Captain since the very beginning. You can make Karasuno great - you can make them the best." _

_ Yuki looked up to her upperclassmen and gave a determined nod before taking the number one jersey from her hand. "I will try my best; I promise." _

Tears fell down Yuki's face as she saw the Karasuno number one jersey which sat at the top of the pile of clothes. She stared at it, unable to move or control her emotions - her breathing became unsteady as her palms became clammy. She shifted uncomfortably as her hand reached for it.

_ "The teams are walking out to a huge crowd here at the High School National Finals," the announcer said. _

_ "How do you think Karasuno will handle it? This is their first time playing in front of such a large crowd!" The other announcer added. _

_ "The nerves must be high; this is the first time in history that Karasuno has made it to the Nationals, let alone to the final!" _

_ "And a big part of that is thanks to the number one on their team - Yuki Nishinoya, the captain and ace!" _

_ "Yes, she has turned many heads this season, rumours saying that Japan is looking to have her on their National Team!" _

Unconsciously Yuki's thumb rubbed along the number one as she tried to hold back more tears from falling. A loud sob escaped her lips as she pulled the top close to her chest.

_ "Don't worry, we can bring this back - we always do!" Yuki was dripping in sweat, and as much as she tried to make her voice powerful, it failed, she was exhausted. They had been playing like crazy but had still lost the first set and was on the verge of losing the second. _

_ "How Yuki?! We have not even come close to winning, and now we are twelve points behind, how are we going to win this?" The second-year middle blocker was furious. _

_ Yuki did not have any different words to say. The best she could do was encourage her team and stay positive, but no matter what they did, the opposition countered them. _

_ "I'm sorry, it's my fault." The first-year setter Amni said, despite her quiet tone they all heard her loud and clear. "They are reading my every move and - and I'm so sorry, I keep panicking and messing it up. You need to switch me out if you want to win." _

_ Yuki watched the young blonde who was close to tears, her head was low, and her hair hid her bright red cheeks. She was having a bad game; the oppositions setter was getting to her head - _

_ "Who the hell are we going to replace you with? You're our only setter!" _

_ \- and as much as Yuki knew she had to help the first year with her nerves, that match was not the time. _

_ "I'll be the setter, " Yuki's words left her mouth before she thought them, her team grew silent. "In middle school, I would go between being a setter and a wing spiker." _

_ "N-no we can't, that's impossible. We've never trained with you as a setter-" _

_ "Trust me," Yuki cut off her friend. "Remember, I know how you all play. I watch back all our matches and training. Just play as you would with Amni, and I promise, I will get the ball to you." _

A high pitch scream made Yuki jump out of her skin.

"You scared the shit out of me!" Yuki's mum, Saza, screamed, hand on heart, leaning on the open door.

"S-sorry, " Yuki mumbled, her hand on her own heart as she tried to relax it.

"What are you doing in here?" Yuki didn't answer and avoided eye contact with her mother, knowing she would most likely not approve of her actions. "Oh - you found your old uniform."

Yuki gave a hint of a smile as she glanced up. "I-I didn't know y-you could keep the k-kit."

Saza sighed before slowly approaching Yuki and taking a seat on the floor beside her. Neither talked for a few minutes and eventually, Saza took the jersey from her daughter's hand - as she spoke, Yuki could hear that her mother was holding back tears. "After the -  _ incident _ \- your Coach gave it to me. Saying that no one else ever deserved to wear the number one," Saza's voice broke, and now she was the one who avoided eye contact with her daughter as she remembered the memory. "That it belonged to Yuki - the girl that lead the crows to victory."

Both women sat in silence once again. It was the first time the subject of the incident had been spoken between the two. For three years it seemed like an unspoken rule for it to never be brought up. They all knew it happened, but all secretly hoped if it was never brought up, they could pretend it never occurred.

"What were you looking for?" Her mother once again broke the silence.

"I w-wanted to go f-f-for a r-run and I n-needed m-my running g-gear."

Saza placed a hand on Yuki's face, her thumb stroking her cheek. Yuki knew this was as big of a step for her mother as it was herself. The last three years were not ideal but it became comfortable, it became safe. Yuki was asking to get rid of the protection she was given, and she worried her mother would only see the negatives to the situation. Saza removed her hand from her face and placed the jersey back into the drawer, not a moment later did she bring out a grey jumper and tracksuit bottoms.

"Come back before dinner, okay?" Yuki's smile grew into a large grin and she threw her arms over her mother.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Saza had no time to react as her daughter was already out of the door with the gear. Her eyes lingered on the door for a few moments longer after she left and she found herself smiling fondly. That was the first time Yuki had spoken a sentence to her without stuttering.

The young woman was out of the door before she gave herself any time to really think. Most mornings she would have gone for a run around the area, most of the time before volleyball practice. Her memories at Karasuno were lacking but she was born and raised in Miyagi, she knew her way around her own town.

After an hour of running in peace and another half an hour of stress, she realised she was very wrong and very lost. When Yuki thought about it, she realised that her memories of the town from seven+ years ago were unclear. Young Yuki saw the world very differently from her older self.

After another ten minutes, she finally found a store - she was avoiding asking someone for directions, her anxiety getting the best of her, but it seemed she did not have a choice anymore.

"Sakanoshita Store, " she mumbled to herself. She had a vague memory of the store but remembered a friendly plump woman used to work there. A friendly face would do wonders for her distress.

"Hello, welcome to Sakanoshita Store." The voice entered Yuki's ears and her head snapped to a person who was sitting back in his chair, feet up on the counters, newspaper in hand and cigarette laying on an ashtray.

"H-hello, I a-am l-lost and n-need s-s-some d-directions, " Yuki scowled mentally at herself - her nerves were making her stutter far worse, she looked down her cheeks burning up, she hoped her hair would hide her embarrassment.

"Yuki?" She glanced up at the voice.

"U-Ukai?" Her nerves fell when seeing the familiar face.

"Are you looking for your brother? He left about five minutes ago with Tanaka."

Yuki shook her head. "I'm t-trying to g-get home b-but I don't k-know the way, " she answered and Ukai laughed making her feel embarrassed and she forced her hair to curtain her face. His chuckle started to die down when he realised she was being serious.

"Uh - do you not have maps on your phone?" He cleared his throat awkwardly.

"I f-forgot m-my p-phone at h-home, " her voice was quieter than usual, and she ensured to keep her eyes down and head low, she was mortified and felt herself becoming emotional.

"Huh - okay - well what's your address, I can put it in my phone and find the directions."

The conversation between the two started to become easy and Yuki's rosy cheeks paled. She struggled to keep eye contact but her voice steadied and her stutter occurred less with each sentence.

"Look, I finish in ten minutes. If you wait I'm happy to drop you home, " Ukai said once he finished writing down the directions for her.

"N-no, it's okay, I-I like to r-run." She gave a big smile which stunned the blonde coach - he had not seen her give a toothy smile before and it did not seem forced like other times.

He chuckled. "Okay, but it's getting dark so give me a message when you get home." He scribbled down his number on the piece of paper.

"I-I will, t-thank you Ukai, s-see you M-Monday." She gave a 90-degree bow before running off.

It did not take Yuki long to get home, and thankfully she had made it before dinner - she did not want the wrath of her mother. Immediately she went upstairs to grab her phone.

_ I'm home! Thank you for your help, see you Monday! _

Yuki's finger hovered over the send buttons for a few seconds, a feeling in her stomach made her squirm. "He told me to message him when I get home. It would be wrong of me not to," she told herself before quickly pressing the send button. She let out a long deep breath and threw both herself and her phone onto the bed.

"Yū Nishinoya if you ever come late to dinner again I promise it will be your last!" Saza’s angry voice rang out through the house, Yuki's eyes widened and she ran downstairs at record speed. Angry mum was a mum she would avoid at all costs.


	6. Eye Opener

The sound of hands slapping a volleyball was at first unnerving, but as time passed, it became a sound she found familiarity with - it was a reminder of where she was, and why she was there.

"Sorry Hinata that was too hard, go for another one!" Ukai's voice was strong with a hint of guilt as he spiked the ball too hard towards the redhead. Hinata ignored his comment, racing towards the ball. Yuki watched him subtly through her fringe, her eyes slightly glancing up from her notepad.

The ball was going far faster than usual, and Yuki was surprised Hinata had gotten behind it at all. The ball smacked the small redhead arms, a loud clapping sound echoed the hall and then silence. Hinata had returned the ball perfectly to where the setter would stand. He was just as shocked as everyone else.

"Did you see that?" Hinata broke the silence with a yell and a jump. "It was like  _ whoosh, _ and I was like  _ whoosh, _ and then it was like  _ bam, _ but now I'm like  _ ahhhhhh _ cause it really hurts!"

"How the hell did you receive that?" Ukai's voice was high-pitched and confused.

"It's because of Nishinoya!" Hinata replied with a toothy smile. Everyone looked to Yū.

"When did you have time to teach him that? We hung out the whole weekend!" Tanaka laughed at the shorter boy.

"No not that Nishinoya!" Hinata cried. "That one!" He pointed to Yuki whose eyes widened as she became the centre of attention. "On Friday, she told me to try receiving with my eyes closed. At first, I was confused, and when I was trying it, I kept hitting my face, but I continued anyway, and slowly I started to understand. When it hits my arms now, I'm like  _ boom _ while before I was like  _ bam _ !" Hinata was over excited and babbled. Yuki struggled to keep up, but it made her giggle.

"G-good job, H-Hinata!" She said with a cheesy smile and a thumbs up. Hinata grew red but gave a sunshine smile.

The session went on as usual, and Ukai could not help but glance over to Yuki. He was impressed, but part of him worried it was just a fluke that Hinata received his spike.

When Hinata was up again, everyone watched with eagle eyes.

"Same as before coach!"

"Alright, little red, ready?" Hinata gave the nod before Ukai spiked the ball just as hard as before. Unknowingly Yuki leaned forward, waiting for the impact. Hinata was just as quick as before, getting behind the ball and into his stance no problem. She held her breath as the ball spun towards him at high speeds. It connected with his arm, the same slapping sound echoing but this time the ball did not return, instead, it rebounded up and into his face.

Hinata was on the floor before anyone could react. Everyone was quick to crowd him as it was a rather hard hit. Yuki did not move but gave out a huffed chuckle when Hinata stood up with a red patch on his forehead. She looked up to the blonde coach who chuckled, his hand awkwardly scratching the back of his head. He apologised to Hinata before meeting her eyes.

"I g-guess the first o-one w-was just a fluke," she said with a closed eye smile. Ukai smirked and agreed.

By the end of the receiving session, volleyballs scattered the hall and Ukai had gotten the boys running around collecting them. Yuki was finishing off some notes when she heard someone call her name.

"Can you grab that ball near you?" It was Ukai. She gave a nod and jogged over to the ball that sat in the corner.

_ "See ya tomorrow, Captain!" _

_ "See you!" Yuki replied as she walked to pick up a stranded volleyball that was left in the corner. _

_ "You nervous for the inter-highs tomorrow?" The vice-captain asked, leaning on the wall. Yuki picked the ball up as she pondered the question. "If we lose it'll be our last tournament in high school." _

_ Yuki turned to her friend. "Why are you so sure we will lose? We've got a strong team." _

_ "Strong enough to go to Nationals?" _

_ "Strong enough that we can get through the inter-highs and into the Spring High Tournament." Izumi sighed. "This won't be like the last two years," Yuki told her, "our team is different now, we have lots of potential compared to before. It's just about how we use it." Izumi did not react as she looked away. Yuki approached and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I need you to believe that we will be the reason the crows can fly." _

_ Izumi looked to Yuki and huffed a laugh. "You were always good with your words." Izumi pushed herself off the wall and stood tall as she placed her hands on Yuki’s shoulders. _

_ "Serve strong," _

_ "Dig fierce," _

_ "Spike hard." _

_ "As long as the ball stays in the air," _

_ "We can't lose." _

_ The girls mirrored each other's smiles. _

_ "The crows will fly!" _

"Are you okay?" Tadashi - a first-year player - asked. "You've been standing there staring at the ball..."

Yuki forced a smile and nodded, though her eyes stayed wide. The young boy was unsure of what to do, so he gave an uncomfortable smile before walking away, the ball in hand.

Yuki watched as Tadashi walked away, before looking back at the wall disappointed in herself. She froze. Closer she got to picking up the ball the more daunting it became. She had not touched one for four years but did not think it would have such an impact.

"Damn it! I left my tie in the other gym!" Yū cried.

"Why is it in the other gym?" Tanaka asked.

"I was hanging out with the girl's basketball team at lunch! I'll have to go grab it after we clean up."

"I c-can g-go g-grab it n-now." Yuki's voice came as a surprise.

"Are you sure?" Her brother's voice was hesitant. She knew why, chances are she would get lost, but there was still lots of time before the session ended.

"I-if t-that is o-okay with y-you c-coach." She gave a 90-degree bow.

"No sweat little crow, just be back before the session ends to go over your notes," Ukai answered calmly, she nodded before walking off.

The cool air was soothing on her skin. It was a pleasant contrast to the sticky heat of inside the hall. Students littered the grounds of the school, most leaving and some talking within their friendship grounds. She walked to the end of the path before looking left and right. She decided the best way to get into the school was by going the opposite of the way she entered.

_ "Which way do we go again?" _

_ "The teacher said to follow this path until we come to a door." _

Yuki's pace slowed as the path came to an end. Three doors for three different buildings. Her eyebrows scrunched together.

" _ What door do we take? The teacher did not mention more than one!" A first-year cried. "We're going to be late on our first day!" _

_ "The teacher said to go through a red door, I think," Yuki replied, her excitement getting the better of her. _

Only one red door stood out of the three and was in the centre, though it was slightly faded. Yuki was hesitant to go towards it. Her younger self was unsure if it was the right door and something inside told her it was not the way. Her eyes scanned the other two doors. The buildings were mainly made of glass, and she could see the door to her left had stairs going to the next level, while the door to her right had a large hallway which led to a large building. She was not sure why, but her stomach told her the entrance to the right was the correct choice.

_ "I can't believe you told us the wrong door Yuki!" _

_ Three girls sprinted down the school halls, all breathless as they spoke. _

_ "I'm sorry! I thought she said red, not right!" _

_ "They don't even sound the same!" _

The halls were empty, but the muffling sound of students talking in classrooms assured Yuki she was not alone. The hallway seemed never to end as she followed the twists and turns. She assumed she was in the main building with how many classrooms there were.

Yuki was wandering the building for a while, she often found dead ends and had to turn back around. There were many opportunities for her to ask directions from students and teachers, but she felt too anxious to do it. So she kept her head down and hoped eventually she'd find the right place.

_ “How do we know when we arrive?" _

_ "Its two large blue doors, I'm sure that will be easy to find!" _

_ "Not in a building this big! _ "

A smile formed on the young woman's face when she saw two large blue doors at the end of the hallway. She finally found it.

The sound of squeaky shoes and ball slams made something in Yuki's stomach turn. She knew what she was walking into, but it felt different from the time she first entered the gym with the boy's volleyball team. Yū had told her that the gym they played in was new, so the gym she was entering now was the one she trained in all those years ago. It was where most of her high school memories were.

" _ We found it! Come on quick!" The three girls ran towards the doors and busted it open, catching the attention of everyone inside. _

_ "We're here!" "We made it!" "Please let us join still!" The three girls blurted out breathless. A larger older woman approached them, clipboard in hand and pen in the other. _

_ "What are your names?" _

"Yuki Nishinoya?" Yuki looked to the person who called her name. She did not think anyone noticed her entering the gym.

"C-coach?" The plumped woman smiled fondly as she approached. "Y-you're s-still h-here?"

"Of course, Karasuno is my home." The older female coach was now at arms distance from Yuki. "It's great to see you. Yū told me you were doing coaching for the boy's team, but I didn't want to intrude - I was not sure if your memories had returned."

"T-they h-haven't. B-but s-s-small glimpses are c-coming b-back."

"Oh my God! That's Yuki Nishinoya! That's her! What do I do? Do I go say hi?" The sudden loud voice made both coaches look in the direction of the girl's volleyball team.

"You have a few fans here," the older coach chuckled.

"F-fans?" Before the conversation could continue a girl ran over to them.

"Hello!" she yelled as she gave a 110-degree bow. "My name is Takamoto Raicho, and it is an honour to meet you!" Yuki watched the girl with wide eyes; she glanced at the coach unsure on what to do.

"T-thank y-you?" was the best Yuki could reply.

Takamoto stood up straight, her cheeks bright red making Yuki give a faint smile. "You're the reason I chose Karasuno. I want to be just like you and take us to Nationals!" Despite the girl's nerves, she spoke sternly.

Yuki felt a ping of pride hit her heart and unconsciously she stood taller, puffing her chest out and raising her head. "Y-you'll do the c-crows p-proud." She placed a hand of Takamoto’s shoulder.

The young girl stiffened up as her eyes watered. "I will! I promise!" She replied as she tried to hold back tears. Yuki smiled proudly.

"Do you wanna join us for a game?" One of the third-year players asked. Yuki looked at her, eyes wide and face pale. All eyes were on her. Her shoulders fell as she felt a weight fall off them. Darkness surrounded, the net suddenly became daunting, like it was as tall as a skyscraper. The volleyball turned into a bowling ball. Her heart pounded. Her hands started to shake.

"Or just one serve, please! I've always wanted to see it up close!" Takamoto begged. Yuki looked at her. The darkness cleared, her green eyes shone brightly. Her breathing steadied. It had been so long since she touched a volleyball - since she had hit one.

But why did that hold her back? Why did that mean she should fear it? She could not keep living in the past; she knew that. She could not let fear control her life.

A ball was thrown Yuki's way. She watched it transform from a bowling ball back to a volleyball. Her arms raised, and her shoulders lifted. She was going to catch it. No fear. No regrets. The ball was in touching distance when another hand stopped it.

"Maybe another time girls," the older coach said, the ball hit the ground and Yuki watched it roll away from her. "Girls continue on your serves; I'll be right back." The coach tapped Yuki's shoulder. "Follow me."

The two walked in silence. Yuki could not take her mind away from what had happened. She was ready. She was going to catch the ball. After three years, something deep inside got reignited. There was a new crave; she wanted to  _ touch _ the ball. But she understood why the coach had stopped it. If she did part take in the match and it went wrong, the outcome could have been uncanny.

In her deep thought, Yuki had not bothered to ask where she was being taken too. She walked aimlessly beside her coach, following her every turn and step. Eventually, she came to a stop, Yuki copied.

In front of where they stood was a large trophy case — filled with awards, medals and photos. A glass created a barrier between the objects and the person.

_ "Why are there no female volleyball awards here?" Fifteen-year-old Yuki asked, face squished against the glass. _

_ "Because they haven't won anything?" Her friend replied with an eyebrow cocked as she watched her strangely. _

_ Yuki pushed her face off the glass and looked to her friend. "Well, when I leave here i'm going to make sure this trophy case is filled with female volleyball awards. And i'm going to have a big award, just like this one," she pointed to a large trophy that said: _

_ MVP  _

_ Adaza Sukezo _

_ Boys Soccer _

_ "You do realise that is only there because Adaza Sukezo plays for the Japan national team now." Yuki's friend laughed. _

_ Yuki stepped back from the glass and placed her hand onto it. _

_ "Then I guess I have to get to the national team!" _

Yuki's hand rose and hovered over the glass. In the top right corner of the cabinet sat a photo frame. It was a photo of the girl's volleyball team,  _ Yuki's team _ , they had just won the Spring Tournament to qualify for Nationals.

_ The crowd was silent for the first time that day. It was the third set, and Karasuno was on winning point against Shiratorizawa. Despite Karasuno winning the previous two sets, the matches were close, and everyone knew one mistake, and Shiratorizawa could take it from them. _

_ Yuki stood tall at the end of the court, ball in hand and sweat dripping down her face. It was her serve, if she got another service ace - like she did multiple times that game - Karasuno would win. She bounced the ball on the floor once. All eyes were on here. Twice. Everyone was counting on her. Three times. She would not let her teammates down. With a deep breath, she threw the ball high into the air. One step, two-step, three-step, jump - no - fly. Time slowed as she launched herself into the air, her eyes glanced to where she would aim before looking back to the ball. Her left arm swung, connecting with the centre of the ball. A slap sound rang out, and before anyone could react, the ball hit the floor on the opponents' side. _

_ Yuki smirked when her feet touched the ground. She did it. The crowd roared, and the team ran over to her. She was lifted into the air, and her name was chanted by everyone watching. _

Next to the photo sat a large award. It was shaped like a volleyball net, the border wood and the part which represented the netting was glass. Inscribed in the glass it read:

_ MVP _

_ Yuki Nishinoya _

_ Girls Volleyball _

Besides the award was another photo, it was of Yuki, but not a photograph - it was a drawing. She was alone in the picture and was high in the air, about to spike an incoming ball. She was in her Karasuno Volleyball kit, the number one shining which contrasted the black crow wings that were drawn at her shoulder blades.

"Fly," she read the word that was written on the drawing just above her head.

The older coach placed a hand on the younger coaches shoulder. "You may have forgotten about us, but we never forgot about you."

Yuki walked back to the gym with the past half an hour repeating in her head. Something felt different, but she was not sure what. She had locked herself away for three years, but why? Cause she was scared? She started to think about how much of life she had missed. She let the fear control her; she let her parents decide her future. Yuki wondered what life would have been like if she returned to Volleyball straight away once she woke up. Where would she have been? Would she still be in Miyagi? Would she have been the Professional Volleyball player she always dreamed of being?

"Hey, did you get my tie?" Yú asked, capturing Yuki's attention, her face grew red as she mentally scolded herself.

"I-I forgot it," she admitted embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it, we've just finished packing up, I'll be back in a second!" He ran off without another word.

"Hey! What happened to getting back before the end of the session?" Ukai's shrill voice made her jump as she entered the gym.

"I-I g-got l-lost, I a-am s-s-sorry!" She gave a 90-degree bow.

"Didn't you come to Karasuno?" He asked. She nodded. He laughed. "Then how did you get lost? I couldn't forget this place even if I tried."

Yuki forced a laugh. "J-just b-bad m-memory I-I g-guess."

Ukai cockled an eyebrow, he had gotten used to her stuttering by that point but stuttering every word was unusual. He was unsure whether to comment on it, she could have just had a moment. But he had no time to dwell on the moment as Hinata's voice rang out loud and clear.

"Coach, we forgot a ball, catch!" Hinata tried hitting the ball towards them but ultimately failed, sending the ball off course.

"How the hell am I going to get that red?"

Yuki watched the ball as it glided through the air. It seemed to have slowed down, allowing her time to make a decision. She remembered during games when it happened; she could think clearly as she could also see all the players that were around her. Whether it was hitting a spike or digging the ball up. When she could see the colours on the volleyball clear as day, that's when she knew she was in the right mindset. It was like her mind would make reality ten times slower so she could process everything before making a choice. Many people said that her split-second decisions were the reason she was such a strong player and captain, but if everyone could see the game as she saw it, everyone would be the best.

"I've got it!" Yuki called out; she ignored everyone around her as her feet took the lead, sprinting across the hall and leaping into the air. She could feel the smile form on her face as she timed it flawlessly; the ball landing into her hands perfectly. As her feet hit the floor, silence followed, everyone in awe of what they had witnessed. Her breathing was heavy, and she stared at the volleyball in her hands with a grin plastered on her face. 

That feeling, she missed it.


	7. New Information

Yuki Noshinoya stood alone in the gym. The only light was from the moon rays that seeped through the high windows. Sweat dripped from her face and her long dark hair stuck to her forehead. Her heavy breathing was the only thing breaking the silence. Her hands held firmly onto the Volleyball, her eyes focused on the corner of the court that passed the net.

That was her sixth time in two weeks being in the gym alone past practise time. Ever since she caught the ball, her body craved the sensation she felt that day. It was as if she was a smoker lacking nicotine. All she could do was think about Volleyball - but not like before when she was thinking about the boy's team playing, but herself playing. Yuki would stare at her hands, imagining the stinging feeling she would feel if she spiked a ball.

With that in mind, the next few practise sessions Yuki did all she could to ensure she touched, caught or threw a ball. Everyone on the team was surprised when they saw she was not in the corner with her head stuck in her notepad but walking around with a smile. Her hair still covered most of her face, but her demeanour changed, she was eager to get involved in drills. Ukai was taken back when she offered to pass balls to the boys to spike - she usually would avoid being physically involved during training, and he was speechless for a moment before agreeing. He found himself watching her with a faint smile as she tried her best to give pointers to the team, though her strutter was being a nuisance so most of the time she gave a thumbs up, down or middle depending on how well they spiked. Ukai was not sure who was more heartbroken, Yuki giving Hinata the thumbs down or him receiving them - it was apparent she felt bad about giving them out, but Ukai liked she was honest despite it.

The growth was not sudden, it started with collecting balls at the end of the session, but even though she held the volleyball, the sensation she was yearning for did not return. Disappointed, at the next practice she tried a little more. Collecting stray balls during the session and passing them back to whoever needed them - again, the feeling was missing. Annoyed, she tried again and tried to involve herself more with the drills themselves - being supportive and giving tips best she could, hoping that maybe it was not the physical touch of the ball that caused the feeling but being involved with the sport itself. Again, nothing. Frustrated, she put herself into a drill - combining both the physical and mental parts, but when that did not work, she found herself in tears on her bed. Yuki could not understand why the feeling had never returned. What was she doing wrong? What was missing?

Night fell quickly, and she found herself sitting at her desk, pencil in hand as she sketched. Drawing was the only thing that could distract her mind from the obsession of 'the feeling' over the last week. Her mind almost went blank when she drew, allowing her hand to take the lead and illustrate whatever she felt.

The time was nearing three in the morning when the image was finally completed. Yuki knew that meant her morning run would be postponed, but it was worth it. The image was similar to one she drew not too long ago. A cage with its door open, a crow was sitting on the edge, ready to fly.

Fly.

Fly?

_ Fly. _

"FLY!" Yuki's hand slammed down onto her desk, the pencil falling from the sudden vibrations. When she caught the ball that day, she leapt into the air to grab it. She was a spiker, her most important moments during a game were in the air. It was not the touch of the ball that caused the feeling, it was flying.

At the realisation of this, Yuki had devised a plan. She wanted to keep what she was doing a secret. Her parents would not allow her to do it, and she felt everyone else would just put pressure on her. She needed to do it alone. So, first she 'accidentally' took the key to the gym home, and copied it, so when she returned them, she would have her own pair. Then she told her parents she was volunteering at the library during the evening after practice - she said to them it was so she could start to make her way into the real world. After each practice Yuki would walk out of the school with the boys and walk in the opposite direction, once they were out of sight, she would return back to the gym. It was risky and devious and possibly illegal, and she did not like the idea of lying to anyone but felt it needed to be done. She wanted to play Volleyball again, but at her own pace, with no eyes watching her every move or telling her it's too dangerous.

The first time she entered the gym after practice was the scariest, every sound made her jump, and the silence made her uncomfortable. She ensured the lights were bright but quickly regretted it when the caretaker walked in and turned them off (luckily she had not set up the equipment yet, and she could hide in the equipment room otherwise her plan was ruined on the first night). Since that evening she kept the lights as dim as possible, sometimes turning them off entirely and using the glow from the moon rays.

It took longer than expected to set up the net alone, she was never good with fiddly things and trying to hang up a net far bigger than her using a little piece of string was not the most ideal of situations and by the time she was finished thirty minutes had passed. With a huff, she grabbed the trolley of balls. There was one thing she knew she could do alone that would bring back the feeling. Only one, and she had not attempted it in four years. Small pieces of her memories during high school returned, and practising the jump serve for hours on end was something she dreamt about in the last few weeks.

The net seemed daunting when she faced it at the end of the court. Not only was it high, but also far away. She shook her head - she didn't care for the ball to get over the net (yet) she just wanted to fly, she wanted the feeling. Each breath she took was long and slow. Through her nose and out through her mouth. Her heartbeat slowed as her surroundings darkened, a single light shone where she wanted the ball to land. Things started to feel familiar, and she could feel a smirk forming. Yuki took five steps backwards before holding the ball at arm's length.

With a final sharp breath, she launched the ball high into the air. She watched it for a moment before taking her first step, then her second, then her third, the ball was on it's way down, and she was one step away from the outside line of the court. Her arms swung back, and her knees bent, her eyes never left the ball, and she jum-

Yuki's eyes widened and her face paled. The ball fell from the air and hit her head. She looked down to her feet which was firmly planted to the floor. She didn't jump. She was confused. Why didn't she jump? Frustrated, she yanked the ball back into her hands before storming to the edge of the gym to try again.

Throw,

Run,

Jump.

...

No jump.

Try again.

Throw,

Run,

Jump.

...

No jump.

Try again.

Throw. Run. Jump. No Jump. Try again. Throw. Run. Jump. No Jump. Try again. Throw. Run. Jump. No Jump. Try again. Throw. Run. Jump. No Jump. Try again.

Eventually, she fell to the floor exasperated. She wanted to scream and yell, but, if she was honest with herself, could she be angry? She had not touched a Volleyball in four years, how could she expect herself to be able to do a jump serve after so long. She needed to get the basics down first. She needed to start from the bottom, and when she was ready, she would be able to do the jump serve again. She just needed time to allow her body to remember.

The following two weeks she stayed back after sessions as much as possible and did everything a first grader would do. Receives, regular serves, remembering how to move and do the essentials of the game. She did this for four sessions for around three to four hours. By the end, she was always drenched in sweat, and when she got home ran immediately to the shower to make sure her parents did not see her. Yuki was unsure how she would explain being so sweaty when she was working at a library.

In her sixth solo practise she was half an hour of the way through when she finally decided it was time to attempt the jump serve again. She felt ready. She felt every other skill in the game was far better than they were two weeks ago and was sure she would give the boys team a run for their money.

Yuki panted heavily as she held the ball at arm's length. It was finally the time. She was once again comfortable with the idea of Volleyball. She knew she could jump - she proved that the day she caught the ball - it was a mental block. But after hours and hours of playing and practising, even if she was alone, there was no reason for it still to exist. She no longer feared Volleyball, but grew excited because of it, a different source of happiness overcame her the day she caught the ball, and she wanted to feel it again.

Yuki took a sharp breath, a spotlight formed in the corner of the court, she would hit it this time. Her right food strode forward; her left arm lowered before quickly shooting up, the ball flying up into the air. Her eyes followed it as her left leg leapt forward, her right following immediately after. Her arms swung back as the ball reached its peak. Her feet planted to the floor firmly as her legs bent, her arms swung forward, and she focused all of her power into her feet. Her arms forced her body up, and her heels left the floor. Then she froze.

The ball fell and hit the floor. Yuki's eyes never left where the ball had been, her surroundings became blurry. She did not jump. Why didn't she jump? Her body started to shake, and her eyebrows screwed together. Her open hand became a fist, and her knuckles paled.

"S-SHIT!" She screamed. She had so many emotions rushing through her that she did not know what to do. She was furious but confused. Exhausted but could run a mile. Her heart was broken, she had put in so many hours just for the result she dreaded most. After everything that had happened in her life, she did not think that moment would be one of the worse. Yuki let out another heart-wrenching scream before kicking the ball as hard as she could, trying to let her anger out in as many ways as possible.

Ukai opened the door to the gym, his mind elsewhere but was quickly pulled back when a Volleyball was inches from hitting his face.

"HINATA! KAGEYAMA I TOLD YOU TO GO HOM-" He stormed into the gym, ready to drag them out but froze when he saw the most unexpected person. "Yuki?" Her eyes were wide, she quickly bowed and used the back of her hand to wipe away her tears.

"S-sorry U-Ukai," she managed to say as she tried to make sure he did not know she was crying. Ukai did not know how to react. He was flabbergasted. Yuki would have been the last person he would have thought to be in the gym at such a late hour. He wanted to ask why she was there, but even from where he stood, he could see her puffy red cheeks and eyes.

It was silent between the two. Neither knew what to say. Yuki tried her best not to let out a sob, though tears continuously rolled down her cheeks.

"Let me give you a ride home." Ukai finally said. Yuki's eyes grew, and slowly she looked up. She was not sure what she expected from him, but that was not it. Why hadn't he asked why she was there?

"N-no it-"

"It wasn't a question." His bluntness took her off guard, though the sincerity in his voice put her at ease.

Slowly she stood upright. "I-I n-need to p-put the e-equipment a-away..."

"Don't worry about it. I'll do it in the morning." He turned and started to walk out of the gym but stopped when he did not hear her footsteps following. Yuki's eyes avoided his as he turned. Her hands tugged at the hem of her shirt. She felt like a child.

"I-I don't w-want t-to go h-h-ome yet..." If it was not for the echo of the hall, he would not have heard her. He studied her for a second, and he could not help but pity. As much as he wanted to know why she was like that, he held his tongue. If she wanted to tell him, she would, he would not push her for answers.

"Hey Ma, could you cover me at the store tonight? Somethings come up." Yuki eyebrows scrunched together as she heard him talk on the phone.

"N-no I'm f-fine I-I p-p-promise!" Ukai ignored her protests and dropped his bag to the floor. He walked past and approached the side of the net.

"You just gonna stand there or what?" He mused. Yuki jumped into gear and helped him take down the net. It didn't take long for the rest of the equipment to be put away either and when the gym was cleared, Yuki stood awkwardly in the middle of if. "Come on little crow, we've got to close up before the caretaker fires my ass." Yuki did not answer but made her way outside. Ukai locked up before walking towards the gates of the school. Yuki did not know what to do, she still did not want to go home, and if she did her parents would question why she finished at the library so early, and she was not sure she had it in her to lie to them more. "I've got the perfect place for us to go." She raised an eyebrow to him. "If you think I'm letting you stay out alone, you got another thing coming. Get in," he told her as he jumped into his little yellow car.

Yuki was not given a choice in the matter and followed suit. The car journey was quiet, but Yuki was thankful for the light music that was playing. She could sense Ukai wanting to ask questions, but she was glad he didn't. As time passed, she realised he was not taking her home.

"W-where are w-we going?" She asked.

"The inter-highs are next week, and as my assistant coach, I think we should discuss it." Ukai gave a gentle smile towards her. "Don't worry, it's somewhere quiet." He added, seeing her tense up for a second. Yuki watched him from the corner of her eye. Was he only doing it because she said she did not want to go home? Or did he really just want to go talk about the inter-highs? But they could have text or waited for when she'd go to his shop when she went for a run. Whatever the reason was for the situation, Yuki was thankful.

The journey did not last much longer, and before she knew it, she found herself standing outside a restaurant of some sort which unfortunately was rather packed. Ukai felt a pit of guilt drop in his stomach, the restaurant was never busy, but for some reason that day it was. He knew nowhere else that would have been open.

"I'm sorry, it normally is quiet." He mumbled sheepishly as his hand scratched the back on his neck.

"I-its okay." She tried to force a smile. "H-hopefully there is a s-s-spare t-table to s-sit at."

"Are you sure? We can try to find somewhere else." Yuki nodded, though deep down she dreaded entering the restaurant that had more bodies than food, but Ukai had gone out of his way to comfort her, the least she could do was suck it up.

Yuki followed Ukai inside and the atmosphere changed immediately. Outside was peaceful, the street almost empty with the soft wind blowing through the scattered small trees, but inside there was constant noise bouncing off every wall. People squashed the entrance, a line seemed to have formed.

"Don't worry," Ukai whispered to her, "the owner and my grandad are good friends, we can get a table without waiting." Yuki did not reply as she felt herself become smaller the further inside they went. It seemed people were simply appearing out of thin air and soon there wouldn't be enough space. "Hey, are you okay?" She looked at him, his face filled with concern. She forced another toothy smile and nodded, but by now, he knew better. He stuck his hand out and gave a subtle nod towards it. Yuki felt the blood rush to her cheeks. She took it and gave a soft smile before looking away.

Ukai guided her through the wave of people and kept her mind preoccupied to avoid the internal panic she was feeling. In no time they were sitting at a table. It was a booth in the far corner of the restaurant, as far away from the crowd as possible and Yuki felt her shoulders relax. All the tables were filled, but the tables were spread out, so no one was close by.

"This is the farthest we could get from the crowd, I hope it's okay," he said as he awkwardly stretched the back of his neck.

"It's perfect," she gave a genuine smile allowing Ukai to also relax. The two sat together for many hours. At first, the conversation between the two was stale and awkward. Still, as they started to speak about coaching and the inter-highs, it became easier, the conversation flowed naturally, and both found themselves laughing and enjoying each other's company. Most of the discussion was focused on the blonde coach, and Yuki found herself fascinated by his stories during high school.

"If o-only I w-was a year o-older we could h-have m-met sooner," Yuki said before thinking, her eyes enlarged and her ears turned pink. Ukai chuckled.

"Yeah - but you would have been a first-year, I doubt we would have ever seen each other." Yuki agreed but avoided his eyes feeling embarrassed that she made such a comment.

Before she knew it, both were back in his little yellow car and driving her back home. Despite the two being comfortable with each other, there was still an awkward tension in the air, and she knew why. The reason she had been in the gym that night was nagging Ukai's brain, but he was too polite to ask, and she started to feel guilty for not saying anything. His car slowed and stopped near her house. Neither spoke and with the music off, it was just their breathing that filled the uneasy air.

"T-the reason I-I was in the g-gym t-tonight, was b-because I was trying t-to do a j-jump s-serve..." Yuki stared at her hands and did not see his reaction, but she heard him shuffle.

"Why so late? And alone?" Ukai asked, his curiosity finally getting the better of him.

Yuki nibbled on her bottom lip nervously. "I - uh -" she was unsure how to explain everything to Ukai, and was not something she particularly wanted him to know. "I h-haven't d-done one in a l-long time, and I-I didn't w-want to disrupt t-training by a-attempting it..."

Silence once again swallowed both of them. Ukai had a million questions he wanted to ask, but he was worried to overstep.

"Were you upset because you couldn't do one?" Yuki nodded. Ukai was confused. "Nishinoya told me you played for a team but wanted to take a break for a bit to try coaching. Is that true?" Ukai knew he might have been overstepping, but he could not help but be interested in the situation. Things were not adding up.

"I-I w-was in an a-accident a f-few years ago. I w-was told I c-could n-never play Volleyball again - s-so I didn't. When I-I caught the b-ball a few w-weeks ago, that was t-t-the first time t-touching one in f-four y-years..."

Silence.

"I-I want to p-play v-volleyball again, but I can't j-jump. Every time I-I t-tried, I f-froze. That's w-why I was u-upset." Ukai slowly nodded.

"You're parents don't know, do they?"

"N-no one d-did, not e-even Yú. That's w-why I-I didn't want t-to come h-home. They t-think I'm w-working at the library a-and if I c-came h-home early they w-would ask questions. I-I didn't want t-t l-lie anymore."

Ukai processed all the information he was given. Not once did Yuki look at him when she spoke. He knew how hard it was for her to tell him the truth.

"Let's focus on the inter-highs, and after that, I'll do everything I can to help you. After all, I am a setter, who else is best to help you spike?" He gave a cheeky grin, and for the first time, Yuki met his eyes, they were wide and full of wonder.

"R-really?"

"Really. How are you going to be a little crow if you can't fly?"

Yuki grinned. "Thank you. I-I really enjoyed tonight. S-see you tomorrow." Yuki exited his car and ran to her door, he watched and waited for her to enter the house before driving off.

Ukai zoomed quickly down the small roads of Miyagi, something was on his mind, and he needed answers. He parked quickly, and rather badly, but he cared not as he jumped out and entered his house. He made his way to his computer and turned it on as he grabbed a drink. Something inside his mind clicked but was unsure if he was correct.

He moved the mouse and opened the internet before typing into the search engine:

_ Girls High School Volleyball National Final 2008 _

Many links and YouTube videos came up, but he had to click none to find his answer. In large text a YouTube video title read:

_ PROMISING RISING STAR YUKI NISHINOYA WINS FINAL POINT BUT AT WHAT COST? _

Ukai found himself hesitant to press the link. He knew what had happened. He was there that day, sitting in the crowd with his grandfather and friends supporting Karasuno. He was unsure whether he wanted to rewatch it, but he had to be sure. He pressed the left side of the mouse harder than intended. He felt an odd nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. The video started when it was Karasuno's winning point. Ukai unconsciously held his breath as he watched the ball be served, the receive was fumbled, and Karauno had a chance ball. Ukai didn't want to watch, but he couldn't take his eyes off of the screen. The set towards the spiker was perfect, Ukais breath got caught in his throat as he saw Yuki's face clearly on the screen. Her hair pulled back and a familiar smile to the one he saw earlier on her face, though her eyes were filled with determination. The shot was wide open, she was high above the net, there was no reason for her to not win the game there and then. But she waited for a second too long, blockers had positioned and blocked Yuki's ball. Ukai closed his eyes - he could not see it again, especially not now, knowing Yuki personally. The crunch sound made Ukai squirm in his chair, and he shut the page before he could see any more. He sat back in his chair, hands over his face. He could not believe he only just figured out who she was.


	8. Inter-High Tournament

The week coming up to the Inter-High Tournament had become a week Yuki was fond of. There was a new intensity when she entered the gym Monday afternoon; everyone was focused on nothing but the upcoming competition and how they had to improve.

Yuki took it upon herself to talk to each member of the team individually, telling them about their best qualities and what needed working on. Everyone seemed happy with her advice, and the end of the session arrived quicker than she expected.

"See you later, Yuki!" Yū waved as he left the gym.

"See ya..." she mumbled. She was left alone, and she pulled at the bottom of her sleeves uncomfortably. She did not know what to do. She didn't want to try jumping again to ultimately fail again, but she had nowhere else to go. She could just stay in the gym, but that gave her the creeps. Sitting alone in the quiet and darkness was bound to bring unnecessary noises.

"Do you have any plans for today then?" Ukai's voice pulled her from her daydream. He had his bag over his arm and car keys in hand.

"I-I," she truly was lost for words, her finger tapped anxiously on her leg as she pondered an answer, her eyes avoiding contact with his. Eventually, she told him, "I-I don't k-know."

He sighed as his hand rubbed the back of his neck. "I can't call off work again like last time-"

"No! P-please, I'm f-fine don't worry a-about me, g-go t-to work!" She gave a 90-degree bow, her cheeks glowing red.

"Look, uh, you can come to my back office in the shop, if you'd like-" Yuki slowly raised, as her ears grew pink and one of her eyebrows subtly rose. "Oh - wait - no - that sounds weird - I just - if you have nowhere to go - the back office is free for you to use - for whatever you want - or not - you could just stay in front -"

"I-I don't want t-to be a p-pain..." Ukai was secretly glad that she had interrupted his sputtering of words.

"You won't," he gave a broad grin "the store is normally empty anyway, and I'd be happy to talk about your notes and the inter -highs - again only if you want, I'd just feel better knowing you were in the back office - urgh - no - I just don't want you to get lost in the city is all." Yuki was usually the one who radiated nervous energy, so it was an amusing sight to see it was the other way round for once.

"I'd l-like that, t-thank you." Yuki gave a friendly smile, cooling Ukai's nerves.

From that day on, for the rest of the week, Yuki spent more time with Ukai than she did her family. They talked for many hours each day, at first it was primarily Volleyball, but soon conversations were taken in other directions. They learnt about each other's childhoods and families.

"The n-name Ukai always d-did s-seem familiar to m-me, b-but I didn't k-know why."

"He used to talk a lot about you. He liked that you were so keen to learn, even if it did mean playing with the boys at times."

_ "Nishinoya, get over here!" Coach Ukai called on the girl. _

_ "Yes?" _

_ "I want you to hit a spike for me, show these boys how it's done." Yuki could not help but feel pride in herself, Ukai was a very well respected Coach, and for him to do such a thing meant one way or another, you were doing something right. "Ragyon, go to the other side and try to receive it." _

_ "Please Coach, why not let Udai spike it. Give me some sort of challenge," the boy laughed. Coach Ukai huffed and smirked towards Yuki. He turned his back to the team and placed a hand on her shoulder. _

_ "Give him hell." _

_ "As you wish, Coach." _

_ Ragyon stood opposite Yuki; he smirked and raised an eyebrow to her. "Don't go easy on me now." Usually, Ukai would shut down such comments, but he knew Nishinoya could do it herself. _

_ "Ready?" Ukai asked. She nodded. The ball was put into play, and she watched, waiting for the right moment. As the ball entered Ukai's hands, Yuki started her run. Old Coach Ukai set it high. He knew she could jump, and would always push her limits. Her hands swung behind her back. One step, two-step, jump, she soared high, taking all the boys by surprise, she watched it, and at its peak she smacked the centre of the Volleyball, shooting it down. Ragyon smirk faded as the ball bounced off his arms and straight out of the court. _

"What got you into Volleyball? Did your parents play?" Ukai questioned, as he played with his food. The store was quieter than usual, so they ordered out.

"I think m-my dad d-did when he w-was younger. He took m-me and Y-Yū to a m-match once. J-Japan vs Canada, i-it's where I f-found m-my love for the s-sport. I have a c-clear memory of a b-ball being s-spiked and the c-crowd cheering loudly. At the t-time I didn't understand w-what was happening, but it g-gave m-me chills, and from then o-on that was all I wanted to do..."

Conversations continued to flow between the two like they had known each other for far longer than a month. They realised they had far more in common. When they were not talking, and customers were in the shop, Yuki would go on her own and draw in the back office, not wanting to be in the way. But on the fourth day, she became rather bored and approached him at the til while customers were browsing around.

"H-hey, I w-was w-wondering, if I-I could m-maybe help around t-the s-shop," Yuki tried to sound confident, but her body language proved otherwise, her head looked down, making her hair cover her face like a curtain.

"What do you mean?"

Yuki shrugged embarrassed. "L-like s-stacking s-shelves maybe..." her voice trailed off.

"You're not doing this because you feel bad that you're staying here, right? Because I've told you already-"

"No, I-I just w-want to h-help," she glanced up and gave a tight lip smile. Ukai smiled and pointed Yuki in the correct direction for the stock, and told her what was needed to be put out. Both of them working together meant that one, they would get out of the shop early, and two, Ukai would not have to go in early (after doing the crops) the next morning to fill up stock as Yuki had done it the night before; secretly he was delighted she had decided to help.

"TODAY IS THE DAY!" Yú's voice woke up the whole house. Yuki was quick to grab and pillow and cover her ears. She did not have to look at the time to know it was far too early. He had been excited for the Inter - Highs for a while now and seeing the team he had with him; she was not surprised. They truly were going to take everyone by surprise. They were no longer the wingless crows; they were going to show everyone how they can fly once again. "Yuki are you ready?" Yú was in her room before she had a chance to reply. She groaned and pulled the pillow off her face with a huff.

"I'm getting u-up," she grumbled as her palms rubbed her eyes. The sound of the door shutting signalled he had left. Slowly she opened her eyes; her plain white ceiling stared back at her. "Today is the day..."

Yuki was unsure why, but she was sure she felt more nervous than Yú, correction, she was more nervous than him. He was like a child on Christmas morning; practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. Yuki had to eat her breakfast with him down her ear constantly asking; "Are you ready yet?" or "How long until you're finished?" Yuki caved in and was ready far earlier than she intended, she was unsure why Yú was so eager to leave. They would get there first and have to wait for the others anyway.

_ "Yuki are you ready?" Yú was dressed in red and black to represent Karasuno at the Inter - Highs. Yuki grinned at the sight; he truly was her biggest supporter. _

_ "We've still got half an hour till we have to leave," Yuki laughed as she looked through her drawers for her kit. _

_ "I know, but I'm too excited," _

_ "I can tell." _

_ "You're going to show them all who the best team in Miyagi is!" Yú was jumping up and down as he spoke, his hands shooting back and forth as if he was fighting someone. Yuki rolled her eyes. _

_ "Well get out so I can get dressed; otherwise we are not going anywhere." She placed her hand on his forehead and slowly pushed him out of the room. He allowed her to do so as he continued his kung fu against no one. _

**Knock Knock**

Yuki was unsure who'd be knocking at that time, but Yú's reaction and sprint to the door gave her a faint idea on who the culprit was. Tanaka walked into the kitchen with a grin just as big and her brother’s. He too, was dressed and ready to go.

"Good Morning Yuki."

"Morning." She returned his broad smile. "N-nervous?"

Tanaka shook his head quickly. "I'm ready to go in there and show them all what we are made of! Karasuno is no longer the fallen crows!" He spoke proudly with his chest puffed out, and Yú nodded enthusiastically beside him making her giggle; she could always count on those two idiots to make her crack a smile.

_ "Yú you've been ready for half an hour, and now I'm ready to go you need the toilet?" Yuki called as she stood by her car, Yú had run inside, the door wide open as she shook her head. He had promised he would be on his best behaviour if she took him with her. She appreciated his support, but this time her parents could not come, meaning she had to look out for him, but realistically she did not need another thing on her mind. However, one of the other players also had a younger brother, so they would stay together in the audience, which allowed Yuki not to be so paranoid. "Took your time," she grumbled when he finally ran back out of the house and into the car. _

_ The car journey was unusually quiet, music was playing, but Yuki was not singing them out loud with Yú. Her hands held the steering wheel tighter than usual; her shoulders were tense, her eyes wide and her lips pursed. Yú thought nothing of it at first, but when her favourite song came on, and she did not flinch, he knew something was wrong. _

_ "Are you okay, Yuki?" he asked, pulling her from her daydream. She looked at him; her focused gaze had switched to him from the road, and her eyebrows furrowed together. _

_ "Sorry, did you say something?" _

_ "Are you okay?" _

_ "Of course," she forced a smile as she looked back to the road. "Why wouldn't I be? Just on our way to the first tournament of the season, my first one as captain - everyone looking to me for advice and strategy..." her voice trailed off as she frowned. "Why wouldn't I be okay," her voice was just above a whisper. _

_ "You can't be nervous!" his sudden outburst made her jump. "You are the best Ace and Captain the girl's team has ever had! Even the really strict coach on the boy's teams says so! You can win this tournament; you just got to believe in yourself!" _

_ Yuki was speechless, she knew Yú loved watching her play, but she did not realise he thought she was that good. "Yú I appreciate it b-" _

_ "NO! You are the best Ace and Captain in Miyagi. Say it with me-" _

_ "Yú please-" _

_ "SAY IT!" Yuki nearly swerved the car onto the wrong side of the road. "Repeat after me. I am the best Ace and Captain in the Miyagi prefecture!" he spoke with his chest puffed out. She felt herself sink in her seat, that would be lying. "Say it!" _

_ "I am the best Ace and Captain in the Miyagi prefecture..." Yuki mumbled. _

_ "Say it again but louder! _

_ "I am the best Ace and Captain in the Miyagi prefecture," she slowly sat up straight. _

_ "Again!" _

_ "I am the best Ace and Captain in the Miyagi prefecture," her voice was a little louder. _

_ "Say it like you mean it!" _

_ "I AM THE BEST ACE AND CAPTAIN IN THE MIYAGI PREFECTURE AND I'M GOING TO LEAD THE TEAM TO NATIONALS!" _

_ "YEAH!" Yú's arm punched into the air. _

_ "WE'RE GOING TO NATIONALS!" Yuki yelled again. _

_ "WOOO HOOO!" _

Yuki walked into Karasuno High School with a large grin on her face, one she did not realise she had until Hinata pointed it out.

"J-just excited f-for the t-tournment," she told him, her hand scratching the back of her neck awkwardly. Hinata beamed, though he quickly crouched over grabbing his stomach and running off, mumbling multiple 'sorry' as he went.

Despite leaving the house earlier than intended, they were the last three to arrive.

"Everyone here?" Takeda asked, before mumbling to himself the register and counting everyone. "Good, everyone is here. Jump in."

Yuki sat at the front of the van, closest to the widow beside Ukai. "Good Morning," he said as they took their seats.

"Morning." She smiled. "H-how are you f-feeling?"

"Me?" he blew raspberries. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous. But we've got a strong team, and if you're by my side, I don't think we can lose." Ukai ears grew pink instantly; he did not mean to be so forward. "Uh - I mean -"

"We've g-got this." she grinned, saving him the embarrassment.

The journey to the tournament was as one would expect one to go that is filled with twelve teenage boys on a bus, ones filled with adrenaline, either from excitement or nervousness. Daichi had told Yuki what had happened to Hinata during their practise match against Aoba Johsai, and she did not want to vomit anywhere near the players or herself. She kept an extra eye out on him, but he seemed to be holding his nerves, for now.

_ "Sendai City Gymnasium, this is it," Yuki told the coach as they turned into the parking lot. Everyone on the coach grew silent as they approached. This was their first real competition as a team, the second and third years were used to it, but Yuki remembered how she felt during her first competition as a first-year. "Hey, don't get scared by the size of it all, okay? It's the same as when you did tournaments during middle - school." Yuki gave them a thumbs up, calming their nerves. _

_ They all exited the van, all of them feeling various emotions. Yuki was trying her best not to show her nerves. If the younger members saw she was nervous, how would that make them feel? Many eyes laid on them as they walked through the halls of the large building, Yuki recognised many faces, having played them the last two years, but now they were the third years. They were the captains. They were leading their teams, and that weight; Yuki needed to get used to it. She could not allow it to make her crumble. _

Yú and Tanaka did not leave Yuki or Kiyoko's side; they were circling them, not allowing any boy to get close, which Yuki was secretly grateful for. The last thing she needed was for a teenager to start hitting on her, but that was the least of her worries. The place had far more people than she remembered. She wondered if they increased the numbers of teams that played in each tournament. Every corner she turned, more people seemed to be popping up. She could feel her hands becoming sweaty; she placed them into her pockets and tried to keep up with the team. However, part of her wanted to stay away from them; everyone was staring and whispering among themselves.

"Isn't that Yuki Nishinoya?"

Yuki froze.

"The one from nationals? Didn't she lead Karasuno to victory?"

_ "OVER HERE!" Yuki yelled, running at full speed and leaping high in the air. The other side was open, it was clear, she could see the other side, she could see the trophy, but as the ball reached her hands so did the blockers. _

"Yeah, but she had a pretty bad accident at the end."

_ She had lost concentration, only for a moment and her spike was not enough. _

"I heard she couldn't walk anymore."

_ It rebounded off the blockers hands. She watched the ball fall beside her. It was her fault. _

"I heard she lost her memories."

_ No one was close enough to get that ball. If they lost that point, it was over. They would never get the lead again. _

"Is she the manager?"

_ Yuki pulled her head and body back, causing them to fall backwards first, but it allowed her right arm to stretch and re-hit the ball mid-air. _

"She can't be."

_ It was only a small touch, but it was enough to get it on the net. Yuki watched the Volleyball as it balanced on the net, everyone's breath stuck in their throat, and after a moment it fell and hit the floor on Inarizaki Kōkō’s side. _

"Maybe a coach?"

_ Yuki had no time to cheer as her body hit the floor. A horrible crunch sound echoed through the stadium and silenced everyone. _

"Hey, are you okay?" Yuki's head snapped up. Ukai stood beside her, his eyebrows knitted together as he looked down at her concerned. Yuki was pale, her eyes wide with the whites showing, her eyebrows raised and mouth slightly ajar. She pulled her shaking head to her hair, subtly pulling it forward to cover more of her face as she tried to stand upright.

"I-I n-need t-the t-toilet. I-I w-will m-meet you i-in t-there." She forced a smile and walked off before he could reply.

"Don't be too long," he called out after her. He sighed as he watched her turn a corner. Part of him wanted to go after her, she was obviously not okay, but sometimes giving a person space worked. She could have just been nervous, though her emotions were far different in the van. Reluctantly he made himself walk away and towards the gym where his team were already warming up. He wanted to stay concentrated on the upcoming match, but he found himself constantly looking towards the door. Their game started in a few minutes, and she still was not with them.

"Kiyoko, can you please head to the toilet and let Yuki know the match will start soon." The manager gave a swift nod and headed off. Ukai took a seat on the bench, and he could not stop his leg from bouncing. He knew soon Nishinoya would ask where his sister was soon.

"Coach Ukai," he turned at the sound of his name. "Yuki was not in the toilet, and I checked around, but I could not find her."

He sighed. "Alright, thank you," he told her. As she walked off, he quickly grabbed the phone from his pocket, finding Yuki's number and ringing it as quickly as possible. He should have gone after her; he knew she looked off. "Damn it, Yuki!" He murmured when it went to voicemail; his hand went to his forehead as he tried to think of what to do. From the corner of his eye, he saw Nishinoya approach him, what was he going to say? The last thing Ukai needed was his players to be distracted.

**_DING_ **

Ukai looked at his phone. A message appeared on the front.

_ From Yuki: _

_ Ukai I'm sorry I had to leave. My grandad needed some help with a few things; I know the way by public transport so no need to worry! Tell the boys I said good luck; they've got this! _

It was a blatant lie, but part of him was glad she was heading home and was not hurt or lost. He was angry with himself for not going after her, but that was a problem for another day. It was time for the game, and somehow he needed to help his team without Yuki by his side, and he was unsure how capable he was of that.


	9. Grandad

_ To Ukai: _

_ Ukai I'm sorry I had to leave. My grandad needed some help with a few things; I know the way by public transport so no need to worry! Tell the boys I said good luck; they've got this! _

Yuki reread her message over and over, and the guilt she felt had not disappeared. It was a lie, she knew that, and he probably did as well, but she did not want to burden him with her problems. The team had been working hard for the Inter - Highs, and it would be wrong of her to distract them, they needed to stay focused if they wanted to win. She wiped away her last tears before giving two knocks on the door in front of her. There was one thing she did not lie about; she was going to her Grandad's house. Her foot tapped nervously on the floor as Yuki waited, she did not know why she had gone to him exactly, but she did know if she went home her parents would cause a fuss, which is the last thing she wanted. Her Grandad was fairly laid back, and she felt that would be what she needed.

"Hello, and what do I owe the visit?" her Grandad smiled fondly towards Yuki, who nervously chuckled, her eyes averting his. He looked closely at his granddaughter, his eyes may have been getting worse with old age, but even he could see her puffy red, tear-stained cheeks. "Come on in. I'll put on some tea." Yuki was glad he had not questioned her so quickly. She followed behind, a gentle smile forming on her face as her shoulders relaxed.

The two stayed in comfortable silence for a while as they had their tea. Yuki relaxed, and her tears stopped, but she still did not make eye contact with her grandfather.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" He broke the silence. Yuki nibbled on her bottom lip as her eyes stared into her half-empty cup. She knew he needed some sort of answer, but she did not want to talk about it.

"C-can I s-stay for a-a f-few days?" Silence rang out, and she could feel his eyes on her. Slowly, she glanced up to see his bushy grey eyebrows furrowed together. "Please?" he nodded as if thinking of what to reply as he took the seat beside Yuki.

"Alright," he finally answered after a moment of stillness, "but you need to help me rearrange upstairs. I never liked how it looked, and if I do it alone, I think my back will give out!" Yuki chuckled at his answer. He was always cheeky - Yu got much of his personality from their Grandad - and relaxed. He knew she did not want to talk about the situation, so he would not make her do so, and she was grateful.

"Of course I-I will h-help," she replied with a smile.

"Perfect, we'll get started first thing in the morning!" He ruffled her hair and stood on, a beat in his step, causing her to huff a laugh.

"A-also," she suddenly called out after him, he stopped and turned to face her. "Can y-you tell m-mum and dad t-that you a-asked m-me to h-help and y-you need m-me to stay a-a few d-days." Her Grandad's head tilted to the side as he watched her curiously. She was so different, but he ensured to treat her no differently like her parents did. He always teased Yuki and joked with her no matter how she felt. Even when she was little and got mad or upset, he would tease her, and she would storm off to her bedroom, arm crossed over her chest and lips pouted, but he would simply laugh. Over time, she got used to his humour, and she found not much would affect her. She grew a hard skin and found a way to laugh off most things. But now, with how she was, it was finally the time to change, just a little.

"Volleyball is a game you can't win alone," he started, his voice gentler than usual. Yuki looked up, "the only time you can get a point alone is when serving, but that is also the only time you are by yourself. If you touch the ball more than once you lose the point and no matter how many times you try, you will continue losing points until you lose the game. If you have a team around you who want the same thing as you, then use them so you can win."

"W-what if t-they don't w-want t-the s-same thing?"

He turned to face her. "Then find those who do." He walked off down the hall, and before he entered the living room called out in his usual cheeky voice, "Go get some food. I decided I don't want to cook tonight."

Yuki dwelled on the thought as she made her way to the closest takeaway shop. Her grandfather was not one to give out advice, and hearing him be so serious but gentle for the first time put things into perspective for her. Maybe she was trying to fight it alone, but it had been a long time since she trusted others. She only had her parents and Yu for years; she was not sure how to open up, how to reach out. Who would want to help her? She was not sure what she needed help with, but she knew something in her life was wrong. Would spiking a ball truly fill the hole she was feeling in her life? She was unsure, but that was all she had.

"Yuki Nishinoya?" Yuki snapped out of her trance. She looked up to see a short woman with a large smile staring at her. Yuki was unsure how to reply, but nodded slightly. "I see you don't remember me," the woman chuckled. "You and your grandfather would come here every weekend to get food. My husband used to play Volleyball so you would talk with him for as long as possible before your grandad dragged you away." Her smile was warming. Yuki searched her brain for the memories.

"Nara a-and Kuto A-Asudori?" She asked unsurely. The woman nodded fondly.

"Kuto, come see who it is," The woman - Nara - called out. A few moments later, an older looking gentleman walked out from the back room. His eyes instantly fell on Yuki, he whipped the towel he was using to clean his hands over his shoulder as he approached her.

"Yuki Nishinoya," he spoke standing tall, arms over his chest. "You have not changed a lot, kid," he breathed a laugh, making the corner of her lip raise, but her eyes averted to the ground. He watched her curiously, both Nara and Kuto knew what had happened, they were there that day, and her grandfather had told them what had happened after. "Let me show you something," he said, walking past her and down the empty restaurant. It took a moment, but Yuki followed behind him. She kept her eyes to the floor, following his feet. When they stopped, she looked up through her curtained hair. "We put this up not long after that day," Kuto said. Yuki's head raised more, most of the walls in the restaurant were decorated with framed images of people and places, but the one he showed her was of herself. She had no memory of the image but assumed it was from Nationals. She was high in the air, ready to spike, with the Karasuno banner in the background, the words 'Fly' clearly standing out.

_ "Hey, Nishinoya, look what we found!" One of the second years called out as they ran into the gym excitedly. _

_ Yuki and Ikumi were finishing putting away the equipment before turning to the seconds years that entered. Between them, they held a large banner of sorts. _

_ "What the hell is that?" Yuki laughed as she wiped her sweat with a towel. The rest of the team approached the second years who were giggling like school girls who just saw a cute boy. They looked at each other. _

_ "Ready? 1, 2, 3, drop!" The girls let go of the bottom of the banner, allowing it to unveil the words 'Fly' written in white on a black background. _

_ "Every other school has a banner," _

_ "So we thought it's time we should have one too!" _

_ Yuki's chest and head rose as she smirked. She looked at her friends who had similar expressions before looking back to the nervous second years. "It's perfect. Now the world knows that us Crows will Fly, no matter what." _

Yuki felt her breath get hitched in her throat as she stared at the photo. Unconsciously, her hand raised to the photo frame. The broad smile on her face was one she had not seen for a long time.

_ Volleyball is a game you can't win alone. _

Yuki's eyes glanced down to the corner of the photo, where the setter was mid-jump, where she just passed the ball for Yuki to spike.

_ If you have a team around you who want the same thing as you, then use them so you can win. _

Just below Yuki was the libero, ready to dig the ball if it was rebounded by a blocker, and further down the net was the other spiker acting as a decoy to give space for Yuki. That's what a team was, everyone, playing their own part but all working to one goal.

"YUKI NISHINOYA?!" Yuki jumped as someone yelled her name. She turned towards the door where a younger girl was standing, eyes wide with a wide smile.

"Ah, that is Totaka, my daughter," Kuto told Yuki, "she's a bit of a fan." Totaka ran over to them.

"I want to be as good as you one day!" Totaka said. "Next year I'm going to go to Karasuno to carry on your legacy!" She placed a hand on her heart and bowed. "And that's a promise." Yuki watched the younger girl who reminded Yuki of her younger self. Yuki stood tall and placed a hand on Totaka's head and ruffled her hair.

"Well then I-I will b-be ready t-to w-watch you at n-nationals next y-year," Yuki gave Totaka a cheeky wink when she looked up, making the girl nearly burst into tears.

"Thank you!" Totaka said before running off, "I'm going to train again right now!" Kuto chuckled, and Yuki watched fondly. Many young girls looked up to Yuki; many wanted to be like her after nationals. Her accident was a tragedy that no one should have to go through, but there was a silver lining in everything. She was able to inspire girls around the country to push themselves to their limits. That underdogs could be champions if they carried on fighting even if they had nothing left to give. That no matter what life throws at them, they get past it, because they were a team, and they had each other backs no matter the situation.

"Food is ready," Nara's sweet voice once again pulled her from her trance.

"But I-I did not o-order anything y-yet?"

"You and your grandad always used to have the same; I thought it would be nice for you to have it again."

Yuki's thought process was very different on the way home; she could not keep running from her past. She needed to face it head-on if she wanted to get past it and continue with her life. She missed Volleyball but needed to accept that her past happened and that people will know her from it, she can't let it control her life, not now, not ever again. She just needed the right people around her.

"Grandad, I-I have the f-food," Yuki said, walking into the kitchen. She heard him shuffle from the living room as she got the plates set up.

"I'm so hungry, I'm so hungry," he sang as he danced into the kitchen, grabbing food onto his plate. Yuki watched him amused as she piled food onto her plate.

"Hey, grandad,"

"Mhm," he replied, food already stuffed in his mouth.

"Can y-you give m-me a lift to S-Sendai City Gymnasium t-tomorrow?" Her eyes avoided his as she waited for an answer, picking at the food that waited to be eaten. She could feel him staring and wondered what questions he would ask.

"Sure!" he beamed. "I just hope it's not early in the morning!"

"Thank you!" She gave a 90-degree bow, her Grandad ruffling her hair on the way out.

"Don't worry about it. Now let's eat!"

**_DING_ **

Yuki's head snapped to where her phone sat beside her on the sofa. She had been waiting for a message for quite some time; she assumed Yu would tell her what happened with the matches. For a moment she stared at the phone, what if they lost? She had not thought of that possibility until then. What if not being there ruined their morale? She shook the thought and picked up her phone and held her breath as she unlocked it.

**_From Yu:_ **

_ WE WON BOTH OUR MATCHES YUKI! _

Yuki let out a sigh of relief, her hand landing on her chest and head falling back. She would not have known what to do if they had lost.

**_To Yu:_ **

_ That's amazing, good job buddy and let the team know I said well done as well! _

**_From Yu:_ **

_ How's grandad? Coach told me he needed help with something, so that's why you left! _

**_To Yu:_ **

_ He's fine, just needed help with rearranging upstairs. He started it then nearly pulled his back out so he needed me to come! _

**_From Yu:_ **

_ Will you be at the matches tomorrow? _

Yuki stared at her screen for a few seconds longer than normal; she was not sure why she hesitated. She was going to be there tomorrow, that was her plan, but part of her did not want to get Yu's hopes up. If she changed her mind last second, it could ruin his concentration; he would know something was wrong.

**_To Yu:_ **

_ I'm not sure yet as Grandad, and I have not finished upstairs, but I'll try my best to get there! Either way, you will be great and get the win! _

Yuki closed her phone and looked back at the TV, and was surprised when her phone started vibrating. Confused, she picked it up.

**_Caller: Ukai_ **

Yuki paled, she assumed he would try to contact her but hoped he wouldn't. She was unsure whether she could continue lying to him.

"I'll b-be right b-back," Yuki told her Grandfather before going to the guest bedroom. She said on the bed and watched the phone ring a few more times. She took a deep breath and swiped on the green phone.

"Hello, Yuki?" Ukai was surprised she had picked up.

"H-hello, yes i-it's me," she was nervous, and he could tell.

"Hey - uh - I'm on my way to the store and just wanted to check if you," he paused, and Yuki held her breath, "are you okay?" She could tell he was not comfortable asking such a thing, but his voice was sincere. "I feel like - uh - as your colleague and friend I need to make sure that - you are - okay." Yuki sniffled a laugh at how awkward he sounded; he was definitely out of his element.

"Y-y-es, I am o-okay. I a-appreciate you asking," her cheeks became a slight pink as she bit down on her lip. "I-I want to say t-that I am s-sorry for running off. That w-was wrong of m-me, and t-tomorrow I'll b-be there by your s-side helping the team."

"You're coming tomorrow? What about your grandad?" Part of Yuki was unsure whether he truly believed she was helping her Grandad or if he was just saying that to make her feel better.

"He's fine, I-I'm fine. I-I need to be t-there for the t-team."

Ukai sighed relieved. "Thank god because we're playing against Aoba Johsai tomorrow and I'm going to need you there." Yuki chuckled.

"See you t-tomorrow Ukai,"

"See you tomorrow Yuki,"

"And Ukai,"

"Yes?"

"Thank you f-for checking up o-on me." Yuki hung up, and Ukai was left with rosy red cheeks staring at his phone, a goofy smile forming on his face.


	10. Chapter 10

Eight o'clock was the time Yuki's grandfather finally fell asleep on the sofa with the TV still on in the background. It was something he had always done, and something Yuki remembers her grandmother telling him off about. Yuki sniffled a laugh as she thought back to the time her grandmother added salt to her grandfather's drink when he fell asleep during her favourite movie.

Yuki reached over for the remote as he snored quietly, changing the channel to something more interesting. She laid back as she skipped through multiple channels, nothing catching her eye.

**_DING_ **

Yuki's eyebrows scrunched together as she picked up her phone, seeing a message pop up on her screen, it was from Ukai with a link of some sort.

From Ukai:

_ This is a video of the team we will be playing tomorrow. Don't feel like you have to watch it but I thought I'd send it just in case you wanted too. Have a good night. _

Yuki bit the inner of her cheek as she tried to suppress her smile.

"Hey, why did you change the channel? I was watching that," Yuki's Grandfather grumbled, his eyes slightly open. Yuki chuckled and shook her head.

"Sorry, I'm a-am heading to b-bed. Here you g-go." Yuki passed back the remote control.

"Bed? It's a bit early."

"I've got a f-few t-things to do b-before I s-sleep. Goodnight."

"Okay, see you in the morning sweetheart."

Yuki spent the next few hours of the night watching the Aoba Johsai match, her book filled with notes on their players, their playstyle and skill. There was one that stood out to her, the setter, Oikawa Tōru. He was what made Aobajohsai so strong. Not only was he a skilled player but was highly intelligent, which was what made him such a great player. He understood his team and knew what play would be best to get his team a point, and his serves themselves were a weapon on its own. Karasuno was going to be pushed to their limits, but after rewatching the Aoba Johsai match multiple times, she saw the few cracks in their team. She just had to give the right advice at the correct time to Karasuno during the match. If Yuki simply told the team everything they may get confused or overwhelmed with information. She only needed to tell them things that they needed to know at the right time.

Eventually, Yuki fell asleep, phone in hand and pen and notepad on the floor. Despite how anxious she felt for the following day, she slept peacefully.

**_BEEP. BEEP._ **

Yuki's eyes shot open. Her cheek squashed against the pillow and arms wrapped around it. Her phone flashed, and she stared at it, listening to the beeping for a few moments. Her hand slipped from under the pillow and grabbed the phone, swiping up on the screen and putting it to silence. She turned onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Today was the day she would truly face her fears head-on. She could not run again. She would not.

Yuki forced herself up and was quick to have a shower. She stayed in a bit longer than usual as she reran the Abojohsai match in her head. She needed to know as much as she could about them if Karasuno wanted to beat them. She needed to identify their strengths and weaknesses so that she could ensure her team's victory. Two teams could be matched in skill, but it's the one that understands and outplays their opponent that would win.

The Karasuno Boys Volleyball Team jacket hugged her body, Yuki analysed herself in the mirror, she tugged at the sleeves and fixed the collar. The nerves were kicking it, and her stomach turned. She picked up her notepad and phone before making her ways downstairs. Her mind was elsewhere as she took a seat at the table, and did not realise the food that was put in front of her.

"Are you going to eat?" Yuki looked up and blinked dumbly at her grandfather.

"Sorry, w-what?"

"Are you going to eat?" he chuckled.

"Uh," she looked down at the bowl of steamed rice that sat in front of her. She stared at it, the smell hitting her nose, making her feel nauseous. "I'm not f-feeling it," she mumbled, pushing the bowl away from her.

"Are you sure?" she nodded as she tried to hold her nerve. "Fine, more for me." Yuki breathed a laugh as she watched him stuff his face with food.

The morning passed by quickly, and before Yuki knew it, she was in the car with her Grandfather making her way to the Sendai Gym. She did talk during the journey. She clutched the notebook in her arms and stared out of the window. Her mind was repeating the notes she had written. A timeout in a volleyball match was thirty seconds, which was not enough time for her to flipped through her notes to give the right advice. She needed to be watching the match like a Hawk, to ensure she can tell her team the right tactics to win the game.

"We're here," her grandfather said. Yuki looked up as he exited the car. She breathed in through her nose and swallowed nervously. Part of her did not want to leave the vehicle. She wanted to sink into her seat and drive back to her grandad's. Hideaway from the eyes that will pry when they see her as they try to figure out who she is and why she was there.

**Knock Knock**

Yuki's head snapped to the left. Her grandfather was at the car window, hand planted on it and eyebrows scrunched. "Where is the entrance?" he asked. She breathed a laugh. She would not leave, she told Ukai she would be there, she would not let him down. She exited the car and stood tall, her chest puffed and head high—no more hiding. People would know who she was, and that was okay. It was time to embrace the past, not run.

Yuki walked with her grandfather to the entrance of the gym. They were early, and many teams had not arrived yet, including Karasuno. Both stood at the doors, watching out at the parking lot. Neither knew what to do. Yuki pulled out her phone from her pocket.

_ To Ukai: _

_ Hey, I arrived a little early, where should I wait for you guys? _

Yuki pressed the send button just before her screen went black. Her head fell back as she groaned. She forgot to charge her phone,  _ again _ . Now what was she to do? Her leg twitched, and she nibbled her bottom lip as people walked by her, many whispering and staring.

"Let's f-find a p-place to w-wait f-for the t-team, " Yuki mumbled after a few minutes of waiting. Her grandfather agreed as they made their way inside. He was talking - about what she was unsure - she focused on controlling her breathing. Her eyes stayed glued to the single blue stripe that laid in the middle of the floor, following it as though it would take her to the right destination.

Eventually, somewhere deep in the gym, the two found a place that was not so crowded, with sofas that could be sat on and peace and quiet could be found (somewhat).

"W-want to w-wait for them h-here?" Yuki asked. Her grandfather agreed, and the two sat in silence. Yuki opened her notepad and continued rereading her notes, it was the best distraction for the time being. As time ticked by, their quiet little place started to fill with Volleyball players, and Yuki found herself silently praying for Karsuno to hurry up.

"I'll be right back, need the toilet." Yuki's eyes widened at her grandfather's comment. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading not to leave her alone. "I'll only be a minute, " he chuckled, patting her head before leaving. Yuki sunk in her seat, her head practically inside her book. She pretended to read but couldn't with her bouncing knee moving the book up and down. Her hands clenched tightly on it as she felt the right side of the sofa sink. From the corner of her and through her black hair she saw a teenager sit next to her with a smirk plastered on his face. She focused her eyes back to her notes, if she paid him no attention she was sure he would leave her alone.

"So, whose team are you with?" But she was wrong. She wished she had ignored him, maybe he would have gone away, but she felt rude to do such a thing. She looked to him, a forced smile plastered on her face.

"Karasuno, I-I'm the a-assistant c-coach, " she could see his smirk falter when she stuttered but composed himself.

"Ah, the wingless crows." Yuki scoffed a laugh. "Didn't know they had a coach, let alone one as pretty as you," Yuki stopped herself from gagging. She did not know what to do other than laugh, her eyes avoiding his. He relaxed on the sofa, his arm stretching out behind her, she shuffled uncomfortably. "So, what's your name?" He got closer to her.

"Y-Yuki N-nishinoya," she swallowed nervously, her hairs standing on end. She did not like how close he was getting.

"Yuki, that's a pretty name," she could feel his breath on the back of her neck which sent a shiver down her spine. She looked around, hoping her grandfather would return soon. She did not know what to do. "Why don't you give me your number, and after this, we can grab something to eat," he was close enough to whisper in her ear. She wanted to push him away but felt like a deer in headlights. What did one do in such a situation?

"She's got other plans," nearly everyone in the room turned to face the person who spoke, including Yuki and the boy beside her. Next to the sofa stood Ukai, chest puffed, and cheeks heated. Yuki could not help but feel a weight lift off her shoulders, the corner of her lips twitched as she saw how out of breath he was. The boy next to her stood up, unaffected by Ukai's words or tone.

"With who, you?" the teenager laughed. Ukai's rosy cheeks faded, and his eyes hardened.

"With the team," Ukai looked to Yuki, "when we win today and celebrate." Yuki mirrored his smile. "Come on; your grandad is looking for you. He got lost." Yuki laughed and stood, following behind Ukai without giving the teenager another look. She walked beside him with a large grin across her face, her eyes to the floor and hair covering her rosy cheeks.

"T-thank you," she mumbled. Ukai glanced at her and was glad to see she was not looking at him to see his growing red cheeks.

"No worries," he replied with a small chuckle, hand scratching the back of his neck. "if it weren't me, Nishinoya and Tanaka would have been there soon." Both chuckled at the thought of the two teenagers making a fuss over her. The rest of the walk was in silence, both sneaking the other a glance before quickly looking forward again embarrassed worried they would get caught. Many eyes continued staring as they walked by, but Yuki paid less attention, the whispers were unheard, and unconsciously she found herself walking closer to Ukai. He noticed but did not comment, even when their hands slightly brushed.

"IT'S NISHINOYA!" Hinata's voice ensured to catch everyone's attention.

"I've been here the whole time," Yu answered.

"No not you, her!" Hinata pointed towards Yuki, as she and Ukai approached the group.

"Don't point, it's rude," Suga told off the young boy.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"And she's a Coach just like me, red, got to use it when talking to her."

"I'm so sorry Coach Nishinoya," Yuki eyes widened as Hinata bowed directly in front of her.

"It is o-okay, I don't m-mind." she chuckled, ruffling his hair.

"I thought you couldn't come," Yu pipped up, a smile creeping onto his lips.

"Grandad w-was feeling b-better, and I w-wanted to b-be here to s-support you guys. W-want to be here for t-the win." she gave a large closed-eyed smile, causing all the boys to go red.

"Come on boys, let's go win this!" Daichi hands clenched into a fist as the rest of the boys cheered. Yuki felt her cheeks grow red as the team walked off towards the hall.

"That's one way to get the team motivated," Ukai said watching the team. Before Yuki could answer, her stomach let out a low growl making both their eyes widen. "Was that you?"

"Eh - y-yeah," she mumbled her eyes looking down, "I didn't e-eat this m-morning, too nervous," she chuckled, her cheeks flushed. "I'll g-go to a v-vending machine, and g-grab s-something before the m-match starts." Ukai raised an eyebrow.

"I'll come with you," he said, taking her by surprise.

"N-no, go to t-the t-team, I'll only b-be a minute." Ukai’s expression didn't budge, and she understood why. Yesterday she said she needed the toilet and did not return. "I won't l-leave. I p-promise. Trust me." Yuki could see Ukai arguing with himself, but eventually took a deep breath and nodded.

"But if you're not back in five minutes I'm sending someone to look for you," he told her, she grinned and nodded. Both found themselves struggling to hold down a smile as they went their separate ways, both looking back for a moment to catch the other before they turned the corner.

Yuki's nerves had calmed so much she almost forgot she had any in the first place. Being around Ukai and the team made everything a little easier, she was comfortable and happy around them that she would not allow fear to win, not this time. She pulled out some money, buying herself a snack from the vending machine, nothing too big, once the team won they would go and celebrate. Before leaving, she looked at her remaining money; she had enough to buy another snack. She twiddled the coins in her fingers for a moment before making a decision.

Ukai found himself sitting on the bench in the gym, continuously looking towards the door with his knee bouncing. He would not know what to do if she didn't return; the team would not believe another lie. He should have gone with her, made sure that he could ease any of her nerves. He had not realised he had kept checking the time until Tadeka spoke up.

"Are you okay? You seem more nervous than the team." Ukai nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Uh? Yes, I'm fine. I'm good. All good."

"Are you sure?" Ukai jumped again as another voice entered his ear. He looked to his left, Yuki standing beside him, head tilted to the side.

"I'm good," he relaxed as she took a seat beside him.

"Here," she said, holding out a chocolate bar in front of him. He raised an eyebrow. "You g-gave me o-one at training o-once, thought I w-would return t-the favour."

"No, it's fin-"

"Take it," it was more of a command than an offer making Ukai chuckle.

"Thank you," he smiled, taking it from her hand and before they knew it, the warm-up was finished, and the whistle blew. The match against Aoba Johsai was going to start.


	11. Abojohsai

_ The whistle blew. Yuki watched as her team got into position, she swallowed nervously, turned and walked to the back of the court. It was only the first match; there were not many people in the audience, mainly people for the team they were playing against - Aoba Johsai. Both their boy and girl team were strong and were always contenders for the nationals. The crowd cheering for them made Yuki tense up. Her eyes glanced to the audience; there was no one there for Karasuno. She looked down at the Volleyball in her hand. That would change, one day, there would be people in the crowd supporting Karasuno - supporting her. She turned, ball in hand and head held high. Her team was in their positions, ready for her to start the game. Serving first was a different type of pressure, it was what set the game into motion - whatever team got the first point could set the pace for the whole set. _

_ "Nice serve!" Izumi told Yuki, who nodded and prepared herself. She took five-step backwards, her arm raised, the ball balancing on her open palm. With a final sharp breath, she launched the ball high into the air. She watched it for a moment before taking her first step, then her second, then her third, the ball was on it's way down, and she was one step away from the outside line of the court. Her arms swung back, and her knees bent, her eyes never left the ball, and she jumped, focusing all her power on the ball of her feet. The cheers from Aoba Johsai were silenced as the audience awed at the height Yuki had reached. Her left hand connected with the ball before anyone had a chance to blink, the force of it made everyone realise Karasuno was not going to be such an easy team to beat like the last few years. _

The whistle blew, and Yuki saw from the corner of her eye, Ukai's eyebrows scrunch together.

"He never normally misses that bad..." Ukai mumbled, she looked up and saw Kageyama at the end of the court, fist clenched by his side and eyes wide.

"I'm sorry," he said, quickly bowing to his teammates. Yuki looked to the scoreboard and saw Abohosai was up 3 - 1, she had zoned out. Her hands clenched the bench nervously as Oikawa was next to serve. He was the biggest problem. They needed to stop him as quickly as possible - if he got too many points the moral of the team would drop, and they could lose the set without getting anything going.

The crowd supported Oikawa as he served, the connection between his hand and the ball made Yuki uneasy, she swallowed nervously.

"H-He's aiming for Y-Yu," she mumbled. If Yú did not receive the ball, the morale for the whole team would diminish. He was their best receiver - if he could not stop Oikawa's serves, who else could? Yuki's eyes grew wide as she watched the ball fly towards her little brother. It was going to curve, she wanted to yell to him but found herself frozen in place.

Some of the crowd gasped, and others cheered as Yú stepped to the right and perfectly received Oikawa's serve. Yuki's heart was in her throat, and she was slightly off her seat, leaning forward. Her worried expression changed into a smile, and her hand squeezed whatever she was holding. She looked to Ukai and saw his cheeks slightly red. Her eyebrows furrowed together, but before she had time to ask, she looked down to see she had grabbed his hand. She quickly pulled it anyway, her cheeks flushing red too. Thankfully, Hinata scored a point, diffusing the situation and she looked to her brother, giving a toothy grin and a thumbs up.

_ "Nice receive, Sanri," Yuki complimented the libero after their team had scored another point. The libero gave a smile, and Yuki internally sighed a relief. The opposition's server had intentionally aimed for Karasuno's libero, and if Sanri missed, the morale of the team would have plummeted. They were down by a few points, but they could turn it around - Yuki would make sure of it. Aoba Johsai was a strong team, and she knew simple tactics would not win them the game. The two sides fought hard, but the score gap stayed the same no matter what Karsuno did. Yuki got the coach to call for a time out. _

_ "What do we do?" Amni asked, her voice high pitched and filled with worry as the rest of the girls forced water down their throats. Everyone's eyes were on the Captain who unlike everyone else, was not breathing heavy. Her thumb and index finger pinched her chin as she thought carefully. The morale of the team was faltering; something needed to change. _

_ "Let's do a swap," Yuki said, looking up. Her screwed eyebrows relaxed and her frown became a soft smile as she looked over to the bench. "Rurari, what do you say we get you back onto the court?" _

_ Rurari was a third-year and had been close friends with Yuki and Izumi since the first year. She was a highly intelligent player and was extremely tall, making her the perfect middle blocker. However, just before the school year had started she had injured her ankle and had not played volleyball properly for since, but Yuki did not need her skill, she needed someone who could change the pace of the game by merely reading the game and helping out her teammates. _

The whistle blew, and Yuki saw Suga standing at the sidelines, holding up the panel with the number nine inscribed into it.

"You p-put Suga i-in?" Yuki asked, wondering what she had missed.

"Yes, we needed someone who could help the rest of the players regain their calm, but also throw off Aoba Johsai's rhythm." Ukai did not bother looking at her, which, for an unknown reason, made her feel uneasy, his answer seemed blunt. Her eyes glanced to the scoreboard, and she felt her body tense up. Karasuno were down by 9 points, and Abojohsia only needed 5 to take the first set. Her shoulders slumped as she looked back to Ukai, she had zoned out for most of the match, she wouldn't be surprised if Ukai was mad with her. She was supposed to help but could not stay concentrated.

Yuki put her clammy hands together as she tried her best to stay focused on the match. Suga seemed to do an excellent job at easing everyone's nerves; he was by far a friendlier setter than Kageyama. Suga complimented everyone and overall was giving off a good vibe that the rest of the team were eating up. He even was able to tell Daichi to ease up, and Yuki's lip twitched upwards a little. Suga was a knowledgeable player, and even when he was not playing, he was observing - he reminded Yuki a lot of herself - and he used those observations to gain points. It did not take long for Karasuno to score four consecutive points.

Yuki glanced multiple times at Ukai, he was watching the match as intently as herself, but numerous times he glanced towards Kageyama, his expression tense. She wanted to tell him that Kageyama would not get mad for being put onto the bench, yes he was a proud player, but he was also a smart one. If he were the reason the team was losing, he would understand why he was taken out.

The score was 21 - 15 when it was time for Oikawa to serve, and once again, Yuki found herself filled with nerves. He could win the set by himself with how killer his servers were, and everyone knew that. She could not imagine the pressure that the team was feeling. Her hands once again grabbed the edge of the bench - ensuring not to grab Ukai's hand- as she watched Oikawa run and jump, the crowd once again behind him. She flinched at the impact he had on the ball, something about it sent a shiver down her spine like it triggered a memory that her brain could not quite remember, but her body did. She watched the ball fly through the air through her squinted eyes, but they widened when it passed both Yú and Tanaka, giving Oikawa a service ace.

Despite how upset she was that they lost that point, she could not help but be aggravated with how smart Oikawa was. Everything he did was thought out; he knew if he aimed between Tanaka and Yú, they would clash and miss the ball. Yuki hands raised to her face, her thumb and index finger pinching her chin as she thought deeply. What would she have done if she was in Oikawa's situation? She remembered how strong her serves were, it was not uncommon for her to get service aces, but it was not always about power. Her mind was racing, and for once, when she wanted to remember her past, she was drawing a blank. Her eyes looked back to Oikawa, who had already started his run-up for his next serve. Her eyes widened as the ball was thrown high into the air. She was to her feet when he leapt. He was going to do a feint, she had to tell the team, but her voice was stuck in her throat. She did not know what was stopping her, but she had no time to figure it out. Oikawa hit the ball lightly, and Ukai was also to his feet, yelling to his team to get to the front, but it was too late, Oikawa got another service ace.

_ "Hey, it's okay, we'll get them next set." Yuki patted Sanri on the shoulder who looked shellshock; she had misjudged the last ball sent her way, which led to Karasuno losing the set. Karasuno grouped up with the coach at the side of the court as they had their small break between sets. Despite the player change, they still lost by quite a few points, but the team's morale was back up, and that was all that mattered. _

_ "Rurari will stay in for the second set, but I think we need to change up our starting formation. We can win this, just a few slightly different plays. Just work together, keep talking and keep having each other’s back. Everyone underestimated us; let's make sure they never make that mistake again!" The team cheered, and Yuki locked eyes with her brother in the stands, a broad grin on his face and fist in the air. She copied him, before focusing up and walking onto the court. _

"Hey Yuki, are you okay?" Yuki's head shot up, Yú was looking at her with furrowed eyebrows, his hand waving in front of her face to catch her attention.

"Eh - yes -" she forced a smile. "U-unlucky on t-t-the first s-set b-but you g-got this n-next o-one." Yú eyebrow raised.

"We're on the third set sis...We won the second..." Yuki eyes widened. She had zoned out for a whole set? How was that possible? Did she pass out? Surely someone would have realised she had lost consciousness? Had she been interacting with people and not realised? She looked back to Yú and forced another smile. The last thing she needed was for him to worry, from what he told her the next set was the most important. It would decide if they won or lost the match.

Yú stared at his sister but he was unable to convey his emotions as the whistle blew for the third set to start. He gave her one final glance before running off to the court. Yuki tried her best to hide her disappointment in herself; she had completely zoned out and probably been useless to Ukai and the team. She was supposed to help and bring different insight into the game, but instead, she was clouded by memories. Her balled fists sat on top of her knees as she tried her best to remember the last set, but she was drawing a blank. How could she help the team if she did not know how either side had been playing. She wished she could have screamed to get rid of her frustrations, but she had to contain it.

"You okay?" Ukai placed his hand over one hers; she looked up to him, her ears pink. She nodded and tried to fight back any tears that were threatening to fall. "Are you sure? You look pale; you can go grab something to ea-"

"I'm f-fine," she answered with a sweet smile, her hand relaxed, and squeezed Ukai's, reassuring him more. "Just n-nervous,"

"Understandable." He pulled his hand away and focused his attention on the game as it started. Her eyes linger on him for a moment, before glancing back down to her hand, wishing he was still holding it. He made her nervous at times, and he made her smile and laugh, but mainly he made her comfortable. When she was worried or feeling uneasy, he was always there to calm her down, and most of the time it worked. He didn't treat her like a broken toy that he needed to be careful with, but like a person who just needed a helping hand every once in a while. He saw potential in her despite her stutter and clumsiness. He saw Yuki for who she truly was, a girl trying to find her place in the world again, not a girl who was broken and was trying to fix it.

Yuki's expression grew stern as she focused back on the match. She would concentrate, and ensure to watch carefully for anything that could allow Karasuno in front; she would not let Ukai down, not again. The match was very back and forth, both teams having astonishing attack and defence. Abojohsai was keeping a slight lead thanks to their top setter and Captain Oikawa. He was reading Karasuno well and was obviously making all the calls for the team. If Karasuno were going to win, he was the one Yuki needed to take down; she needed to understand how his brain worked so she could counter whatever he had planned. But that was easier said than done.

There was a moment of hope for Karasuno to take the lead when Oikawa received Asahi's pike, so he could not be the one to set for his spikers, but everyone was taken by surprise when Aoba Johsai's Libero was the one to toss the ball back to Oikawa for him to spike. Yuki could not help but be impressed; no one could have predicted that. Even after three sets, they were pulling out new tricks, and if Karasuno wanted to win, they would have to do the same. But Yuki had fazed out the last set; she had no idea what Karasuno had done. She sighed heavily as her face fell into her hands. She watched through her fingers as the match continued back and forth.

Ukai called for a timeout, and she watched as the team came in, Yuki stood beside Ukai but did not say a word as he spoke encouraging words to them. She wished she had something to say, but nothing came to mind, nothing she would have said would have made a difference. Every time Aoba Johsai were put into a tricky situation, they always found a way out of it, how could one go against that?

The hall fell silent when Hinata did a crazy quick attack broad shot. No one had come close to blocking him, and his speed and height were something that even took back Yuki a little. But she smirked, if Karasuno were to win the match, it was because of Kageyama and Hinata. Yuki's nerves started to relax as Karasuno got the lead for the first time that set. Hinata was being the perfect decoy and fooling everyone, including herself, and the broad quick attacks were getting the team many points. Aoba Johsai called for a timeout, and once again she had nothing to say to the team but gave a thumbs up with a giant grin to show her support. However, it did not last long, and Yuki could not believe she got pulled into the fantasy that it would have. Abojohsai found an answer to the broad attack and it demoralised everyone. They put no blocker on Hinata, and because of the momentum of his jump, they knew where the spike would land, making it easy for Aoba Johsai's Libero to dig it up. It threw everyone off their game, and Oikawa used it as the perfect time to do a setter dump. Aoba Johsai stole Karasuno's momentum, and the only way to stop it was with another time out.

Yuki grabbed her book of notes and frantically flicked through it, hoping there was anything that could help the team. She needed to say something, even Ukai was at a loss for words, and she could see in his eyes he was pleading for her help, but she found nothing, and she said nothing. She could not meet his eyes as the team went back onto the court. All she wanted to do was help him, but instead, she kept failing him. Yuki struggled to keep her attention on the game when she was feeling so defeated. Thankfully though, Karasuno gained a point and stopped Aoba Johsai from expanding the lead on them. It was the perfect time for a breather, but not for Yamaguchi who was being subbed on as a pinch server. Yuki's eyes widened when she saw the trembling teenager waiting at the sidelines. Yuki was unsure it was the best plan from Ukai, but who was she to talk?. At least he had a plan. There was a high chance that Yamaguchi was going to miss the serve, the pressure he must be feeling would be more than anyone could truly handle. Still, Yuki assumed Ukai knew that, and the real purpose of the Yamaguchi was to switch up the momentum for Karasuno, give them more drive to win. And that was exactly what happened. Karasuno had a fire lit up under them despite the fact that the pinch serve did not work, and before anyone knew it, the score had become a deuce, and either team could take the game.

_ "We can win this! I know we are all tired, but one final push and we make it to the next round!" Yuki spoke loud and proud and did not show her team how tired she truly was. She promised herself she would always stand tall no matter what when she was on the court. She was proud to be part of Karasuno, win or lose. The team cheered and walked back onto the court, but Yuki stayed on the sidelines for a moment and asked Amni to stay with her for a second. _

_ "I need you to stay calm, okay? This is just like every other game; you are a great setter and will help us to victory." Yuki told the first year, who nodded sternly. "If we are a point down, I need you to do something for me. Don't pass the ball to me. When people are backed into a corner, they will go for their easiest or strongest option to ensure they don't lose. I will be the easy option, and the oppositions will block me easily, and we will lose. I need you to do the unexpected, pass to Tomara, she has not had the ball much this match, and they will not expect it. Hopefully, this will rattle Aoba Johsai, and we can take the last point to win. Does that make sense?" _

Yuki's eyes widened, the sound of Aoba Johsai's chants rang in her ear. She looked to the score; it was 33 - 31 to Aoba Johsai, if they got the next point they would win. Yuki watched as the ball soared through the air towards Kageyama and from the corner of her eye she saw Hinata starting to run.

"NO!" Yuki yelled and was on her feet before she could stop herself, but she was too late. The ball had already left Kageyama's hands, the play was in motion, and she could do nothing more but watch. Hinata had jumped high and had hit the ball with all the force he could muster, but it was not enough to break through the triple block that faced him on the other side of the net. Yuki could feel the heartbreak of everyone around her as the ball rebounded off the blocker's arms, after all their hard work, they were going to lose. Yuki wished she could have done something at that moment to stop the outcome, but she knew there was nothing to do. No one was close enough to get the ball. Yú was launching forward towards the ball, and the pain in his eyes made her breath get caught in her throat.

The ball finally collided with the floor and Yuki dropped to her knees - she knew how to win the game, but she didn't say anything - she had failed them. The whole team, her little brother, Ukai. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked to the ground and bit on her bottom lip. She had failed again, she let the past control her life, again. She wanted to scream and shout in anger but used all her force not too as her hands squeezed into a fist. She felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, she looked up to see Ukai standing next to her. His eyes met hers, and they were too, filled with sadness. She wanted to apologise, but her voice failed her.

"Come on," he mumbled, giving her a shoulder a small squeeze and walking away. Yuki wiped away her tears and stood, though she did not stand tall as Ukai did, she did not hold her head up in pride like Daichi, but instead let her hair cover her embarrassment. She walked beside Ukai and bowed before walking away and out of the gym. She had done it quickly and quietly, she did not want to make a scene, but she could not be there anymore. She tried to face her fears head-on, but instead of fighting past them, they swallowed her up. How was she supposed to forget her past when her memories were coming back to haunt her, to remind her of what she was, of what she could have been and of what she was not anymore.


	12. New perspective

It had been two weeks since the match against Aoba Johsai, and Yuki was still at her grandfather's house. He had told her family she was helping him redecorate, so they had not bothered her. It was not a full lie, Yuki was helping him though she had asked him to do it. She was filled with embarrassment and guilt, and the last person she wanted to see was her little brother, she could not face that she was the reason his big smile had faltered. She had not been to training or had any contact with Karasuno since that day, though Ukai had tried multiple times to contact her.

Ukai was the one thing that kept her falling into a pit of depression. His small messages and attempts to contact her gave her a little bit of hope, though after a moment it would all come crashing down again when she remembered how she let him down. The only reason he would want to contact her was to tell her not to go back to training anyway. Why would he want her there? She was useless.

Yuki spent most of her time in the spare bedroom, sat on the bed with her back against the wall staring at nothing as memories resurfaced. She often wished she never decided to be the assistant coach, maybe being stuck inside was better than feeling the sadness she was feeling now. She was trying to bring back the person she used to be even though it was impossible.

**_Knock Knock_ **

Her grandad tried his best to keep Yuki occupied so she would not fall into bad habits. It hurt him seeing his granddaughter moping around, and there was not much for him to say or do. He had only seen her smile once in the past two weeks, all he knew it was something she saw on her phone.

Yuki was ready to tell him he could enter, but her mind was distracted by her phone.

**_vzzzzzt_ **

It laid flat on her bed face down. She had a suspicious feeling to who it could be calling, only a few people ever did, but there was only one name she wanted to see.

**_vzzzzzt_ **

She sighed softly as she grabbed the phone and looked at the screen.

**_Caller: Ukai_ **

Yuki could not help the tug at the side of her lips. There was something about him that made her feel  _ something _ , even in the state of sadness she was in. He seemed to care about her, and that made her feel funny inside. Her finger hovered over the green phone icon, maybe talking to him could help, but in a blink of an eye, her finger swiped onto the red icon. He didn't care. He just wanted to tell her she was fired from the volleyball team, and she knew that already, she did not need him to confirm it.

"Come i-in," she mumbled as she placed her phone back onto the bed. Her eyes glanced to the door as it opened. Her breath hitched in her throat. Her skin paled and her mouth slightly opened, as though it froze in the middle of an unspellable word.

Ukai stood at the entrance of her room, phone in hand and eyebrow raised.

"Thought I would try one more time," he said, referencing the failed phone call. Yuki was speechless, she did not know what to do. Had he come all the way to her grandfather's house just to tell her she was fired? "May I come in?"

Yuki looked to the ground, her ears going pink as she nodded. He walked in and took a seat in the chair opposite her. The air was tense as the two sat in silence. Yuki could not tell if the thumps she was hearing were from her heart or the ticking clock on her wall. She refused to meet his eyes, but she could not sit in silence forever.

"W-why a-are you h-here?"

"Well, I haven't heard anything from you in two weeks. No text back, you keeping rejecting my phones calls, not turning up to practise-"

"D-did Yú n-not t-tell you?" She looked up from her twiddling fingers, though she could barely see him through her fringe. He was not happy, she could tell that from his body language. Usually, he was so relaxed, but now his shoulders were tense, and his normal friendly smile was replaced with a tight lip - he was not even this tense during the Aoba Johsai match.

"That you would miss practice to help with your grandfather? Yeah, he told me..." Yuki eyebrows scrunched together. If he knew, why was he surprised she was not at practice? "You think I really believed that?" Her eyes widened. "Ignoring this won't make it go away."

"I-I'm not i-ignoring i-it."

"So why have you not picked up my phone calls? Why are you skipping out on practice?"

Yuki's eyes looked back down to her twiddling fingers. She nibbled on her bottom lip as she tried to justify why she was obviously avoiding him. "I-I was s-scared..." she mumbled. Ukai raised an eyebrow.

"Scared? Of me?" he was concerned, what had he done to make her scared?

"I-I l-let you d-down..."

Ukai let out a deep breath, "You thought I was mad..." he stated, relieved it was not anything serious. "I was upset that we lost, yes, we were so close and to lose at the edge of that was heartbreaking. But I would never blame you or anyone for that." Ukai reached over, his hand covering hers. "We are a team-"

"Bu-"

"But nothing. I know what happened all those years ago," she looked up to meet his eyes, "I did not expect you to go into the game shouting commands left, right and centre-"

"I-I didn't s-say a-anything, I-I was u-useless!" Yuki pulled her hand from him as she stood angrily. "I-I f-f-failed!"

"Yuki listen to me," he stood too, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at him. "The first day, you couldn't even walk into the hall, but the second you fought against your fears, and you did. I didn't care that you were not talking, I cared that you were by my side. None of this is going to happen instantly, you're not going to change instantly, it is something you're going to have to work on." Neither said anything as Yuki processed his words. She avoided his eyes, as she found particular interest with the floor. She clenched and unclenched her hands as she processed his words. Her stomach filled with fluttering butterflies as she realised he  _ did  _ care for her, but it made her more worried to let him down. "Let me help you," he finished, his voice soft.

This was a different side to Ukai that Yuki had not seen before. He was never truly serious around her, most of the time he was a little goofy, and was relaxed with most things. But now, he seemed tense, and she did not think he was taking no for an answer.

"I-I don't w-want to d-d-disappoint y-you..." she mumbled.

"You won't," he placed his index finger under her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. Yuki was surprised but pleased to see his stern expression had wavered, and she was met with his usual soft smile. "Me and you are going to take Karasuno to Nationals, as a team."

Yuki moved her chin away from his finger as her cheeks heated up, she bit down her bottom lip as she tried to stop the grin from growing. "A-as a t-team," she mumbled, unable to control her smile. Ukai stepped back, a smug look on his face. She was about to speak again but was interrupted by Ukai's phone going off.

**_Beep Beep_ **

He took it out of his pocket, and Yuki was surprised when his soft smile became a devilish smirk. Her head tilted to the side as she wondered what would cause such an expression out of him. "We're leaving in 10 minutes. Otherwise, we'll be late. I'll be downstairs waiting, don't take too long." Ukai left her room and shut the door before she had a chance to say anything. She stared bewildered at the closed door.

"W-what?"

Yuki walked down the stairs of her grandad's house as she adjusted her trousers. She had no idea where she was going but decided to trust Ukai, it was the least she could do after ignoring him the last two weeks. But that did not mean she was comfortable with the idea of it. She was never too fond of surprises or the unknown. It made her anxious, and her poor hands had not stopped sweating since he arrived.

"Perfect you're ready, took a bit longer than 10 minutes but we'll be fine," Ukai said as he saw her enter the kitchen. Yuki cheeks flushed, she spent most of the time trying to pick out an outfit, she had no idea where they were going so picking out an outfit proved to be complicated. She needed it to be appropriate for all occasions. He could have been taking her to practise- though it would have been weird as it was a Saturday. Could have been to work at the shop or a restaurant like a date. Her eyes widened at the thought. Ukai would not want to take her on a date, he saw her as a friend and colleague, nothing more, he was only so nice, so they could take Karasuno to nationals. "Ready to go?" Yuki nodded quickly, her ears now pink too as she embarrassed herself with such a thought.

Both said bye to her grandad as they left the house and jumped into his small car. She kept quiet as she tried to calm herself down. She did not know why she got so nervous when she thought it was a possible date. Her eyes glanced to her right as he started up the engine. She only just realised what he was wearing. She had only seen him in his store and coaching uniform before. He was in a black, unzipped hoodie, with the sleeves pushed up and a bright blue plain shirt underneath. His hair was styled like it always was, but his left ear had two piercings that she never noticed before. He looked... _ good _ .

"You okay?" he asked, pulling her back to reality. Her eyes widened, and she instantly looked away, her cheeks which were already red were now even worse, making her look like a tomato. She wondered if he caught her staring? She was embarrassed and decided to avoid eye contact for the rest of the drive, she couldn't even find it in herself to ask where they were going. Simply she nodded to answer his question. He raised an eyebrow but did not push the question any further.

Most of the car journey was quiet. Yuki was too wound up in her own nerves to realise Ukai was feeling the same. He had so many things he wanted to say, but the confidence he had earlier had disappeared. He was not thinking about what Yuki was going to say before, he was tunnel-visioned, and it made any nerves he had disappeared. But now she was next to him, and his plan to get back and out of the house had worked, he didn't know what the next step was going to be. He had small sweat drops at the side of his forehead that he prayed would not drop for her to see. There was no reason for him to be so nervous, he did not understand why he just wanted to help her with being a coach. He knew if she was by his side, Karasuno would go far, he needed her and would do everything to ensure she was by his side in the next tournament.

Nervously, Ukai swallowed and turned on the music, it would fill the silence and hopefully ease both of their nerves. Yuki jumped when she heard sudden noise enter her ears.

"Oh, sorry," Ukai mumbled, "didn't mean to scare you." he chuckled nervously as he cursed himself mentally. "D-do you like music?" Did he just stutter? He was ready to facepalm, where had all these nerves come from? He always seemed to get a little goofy around her, and he could not understand why.

"Music i-is n-nice," she gave a friendly smile before looking back out of the window. She still did not want to make eye contact with him. The feeling in her belly had just disappeared, and she did not want it back anytime soon.

Ukai did not like the situation they were in, it was tense, and unlike them, normally they found ease with each other, but now both of them seemed on edge.

"On the bank of Hirose river, the memory won't return," Ukai suddenly started to sing with the song that was playing on the radio. Yuki's head snapped back to face him, her eyebrows furrowed but lips pulled into a smile as a light anxious laugh escaped her lips. "The river runs quick and your eyes glittered with the reflection," he continued, his eyes glanced quickly to Yuki before back to the road, "The time passes and summer comes again," Yuki let out a small giggle as she watched Ukai goof around. It was endearing and made all those nerves she felt wash away.

"The same river bank with the same flow," now it was Ukai's turn to be taken by surprise. Not only did Yuki sing, but she did not stutter. He knew he had to keep his eyes on the road, but he could help but look glance at her multiple times. "The sound of river reminds me of the past in this city of forest," she smiled ear to ear as she sang loudly with the music, even allowing her head to bop to the beat. Ukai chuckled lightly, it was a new side to her he was seeing, and he liked it.

It was not uncommon for those who suffer from a stutter to be able to sing without stuttering. There were different theories to why it was possible - some say it is because a person sings with their vocal cords, which does not get affected by stuttering, other people say it's to do with the brain. Music uses the right side while talking, and languages would be on the left. Either way, it meant Yuki could sing without stuttering, and it felt nice to be able to say (or sing) a whole sentence without getting stuck halfway through.

After that song, the rest of the journey was relaxing for both. They talked a little and continued singing with one another. It was the perfect way to break the tension.

"We're here," Ukai said with a smile as he pulled into an almost full parking lot. Yuki's eyes widened at the large building that faced her.

Where did Ukai take her?


	13. Japan vs Canada

Yuki swallowed nervously as Ukai parked the car, her eyes never left the large building and mass of people that were entering it. Her palms began to sweat just thinking about being around so many people. With the different ideas that were running through her head for where he could take her, this was something that had not crossed her mind - she didn’t even know what it was. She wanted to ask, but she found herself in a trance staring at the entrance.

"You okay?" Ukai asked as he turned off the engine. She looked at him and forced a smile with a single nod, though the rest of her facial features gave it away how she truly felt. "Don't worry, once we get inside, it won't be so crowded." She nodded again and stepped out of the car. She trusted Ukai, there was a reason he brought her there.

They walked side by side towards the front entrance. She kept her head down and her eyes to the floor, though a few times they wandered to look at Ukai. He was wearing a pair of jeans, they weren't skinny nor really loose, but she found herself once again feeling flustered.

"I think to start off we need for you to fall in love with volleyball again," Ukai stated. "How did you fall in love with it in the first place?"

"W-when my dad t-took me to w-watch Japan vs C-canada as a-a k-kid," she answered after a moment of thinking.

"Exactly," Ukai smiled as he pulled two pieces of paper from his pocket. "So what a better way for you to fall in love with volleyball again than to watch a volleyball match!" He seemed like a child who finally figured out an answer to a hard maths question. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she read what the piece of paper said.

**_2012 Volleyball Japan_ **

_ Hosts _

**Friendly game between**

_ Japan vs Canada _

When she read it, her mouth hung open in disbelief. She had only told him about it once, and it was only a passing comment, but he remembered. She was lost for words as she blinked dumbly as the piece of paper - no - ticket.

_ "What got you into Volleyball? Did your parents play?" Ukai questioned, as he played with food. The store was quieter than usual, so they ordered out. _

_ "I think m-my dad d-did when he w-was younger. He took m-me and Y-Yū to a m-match once. J-Japan vs Canada, i-it's where I f-found m-my love for the s-sport. I have a c-clear memory of a b-ball being s-spiked and the c-crowd cheering loudly. At the t-time I didn't understand w-what was happening, but it g-gave m-me chills, and from then o-on that was all I wanted to do..." _

"Uh - if you don't like it we don't have to go in," Ukai started rambling, his hand touching the back of his neck awkwardly. He was so sure she would have liked the surprise but her reaction, it seemed he judged it wrong. "We can go somewhere else-" Ukai already turned on his heels, his face red with embarrassment.

"No," she grabbed his hand before he could walk away. "I'm s-sorry," he stopped and looked at her. "I'm j-just shocked you r-remembered." She smiled, and Ukai found himself going even redder.

"It's nothing, just thought it would - eh be nice - cause you probably-" Ukai was rambling, his nerves getting the better of him again and Yuki found it cute. She giggled to herself before pulling on his hand for him to start walking towards the entrance again.

"This is amazing! Thank you!" He was thankful that she looked back to the entrance so she could not see his rosy red cheeks grow and the goofy smile that formed on his face. She did not stutter, and that made Ukai feel something strange inside. Her smile was broad, and her eyes were filled with awe.

Ukai walked beside her as they approached the entrance. Yuki let go of his hand, feeling herself getting nervous, she did not want him to feel her sweaty palms. And she was sure he did not want to hold her hand anyway. Then it would seem like they were a couple and surely he did not want that, there were many girls his age around, she was sure he could get one of them if he tried. Little did Yuki know that Ukai was a little saddened when he let his hand go, it was a simple touch that he liked.

As the two got closer to the entrance, Yuki found herself subconsciously slowing down as the mass of people seemed to grow. Her breathing became uneasy as she saw a woman trying to calm down her kids who were practising their passing with a volleyball. An older couple watched amused from the side as a middle-aged man scuffed annoyed as the ball nearly hit him.

"Who do you think will take the win?" Ukai pulled her from her trance. He knew she was panicking, but he was not the best when it came to comfort. So instead, he tried to distract her from the chaos. Keep her talking, and keep her attention on himself rather than everyone else around. Yuki looked at him as he continued talking, "I haven't been keeping up with the national teams so much recently, being busy with the team and all but it seems Japan is strong this year."

"I'm n-not sure, I have n-not watched v-volleyball for a-a long time..." she mumbled. Ukai's face dropped for a second as he once again thought he made a mistake taking her there, "so I'm really e-excited to watch!" she grinned, causing Ukai's heart to swell.

They continued talking as they entered the building. Ukai was doing a good job at keeping her distracted, ensuring Yuki barely noticed the mass of people around her increasing. She found herself at ease, but at the same time transfixed with him. He asked her many questions that made her think deeply, and she found it amusing to see Ukai caught off guard when she returned questions back at him.

"Want to take a seat front, back or middle?" Ukai asked as they entered the arena. Yuki's eyes widened.

_ "Whoa, this place is so big!" Yuki said out loud to no one in particular as Yu, Yuki and their father entered the arena. "Yú lets get as close as possible!" she and her younger brother sprinted off down the stairs. Their father watched amused as the two ran off, ensuring to keep a close eye on them. The arena was still rather empty, which meant his two kids would not get lost. "How high do you think they will jump Yú?" _

_ "Probably like up here!" he replied, just as giddy, sticking his arm as high as he could in the air. _

_"Do you think they can jump over me?" she asked, standing tall with her arms crossed over her chest. "I am 134.62_ _centimetres now," she stated proudly with a smug look across her face._

_ "Well, you see that net," their father finally made it down the stairs. The two kids looked to the net that was set up in the middle of the pitch, they both nodded in response, "well the players jump so high that their hands reach over it." _

_ "No way!" Yuki answered, her mouth hung open. _

_ "Yes way," her father replied. _

_ "But it is so big, they must jump so high," she answered, shocked and slumped down onto a seat, her hands on her head as she looked up at the net. "You're doing one of your jokes again, aren't you dad! No way someone jumps that high!" she accused, making him chuckle. _

_ "Well, we are right at the front, so you will see very clearly how high they jump." _

"The f-front," she smiled at Ukai as she started making her way down the stairs. Ukai did not say anything else as he watched her. She was in a state of awe, her eyes wide and full of wonder. Her shoulders were not slumped forward, and her head was held high. Her hands which were usually fiddling with something were relaxed. Even when she smiled during practice, her face was never lit up the way it was now, for once her smile matched the rest of body language. She looked comfortable. She looked home. "Are y-you coming?" she asked, this time, she was the one to pull him from his trance.

"Yeah, sorry," he mumbled, catching up with her.

_ "NO WAY!" Yuki practically shouted as the two teams started to warm up. Her father was right. They did jump higher than the net. "How are they doing that! Yú, are you seeing this?" Her jaw was practically touching the floor, and Yú was just as animated as his older sister. The two kids did not know, but the teams could hear them and found their reactions amusing. They were purposely trying to get high jumps to see the kids reactions. _

Yuki and Ukai continued talking as the players started to practise. She sat back relaxed as she watched the men toss the balls back and forth. She watched their techniques and mentally took notes of things that Hinata could use to help him with his basics. Part of Yuki was worried when they started to set and spike that the loud bangs would irritate her, but in fact, they had no effect on her at all.

_ "Yu, look a ball is coming this way!" Yuki shook her little brother by the shoulders aggressively - making his head wobble back and forth - as a volleyball bounced over to them. She knew she was not allowed to go over the barrier, but the ball bounced over it and her father caught it. One of the volleyball players ran over to them. _

_ "Is it okay if she passes it back?" Her father asked the player. _

_ "Of course, show me what you got kid!" The player said. _

_ Yuki's already big smile somehow grew even bigger, and she was practically jumping with excitement. She held the ball in her hands, she wanted to pass it back like how the players did, but the ball was too big to hold on one hand. So with both hands, she threw it high in the air, and as it came back down, she used her left hand to smack the ball. It was not a hard hit, in fact, it barely got back to the player, but everyone was surprised she had hit the ball at all. She was very small, and at her age, such coordination was an issue for most kids. _

_ "Nice hit kid! Left handed too, you will make a good spiker one day!" The player winked before running back to his team. _

_ "DID YOU SEE THAT YÚ! I THREW IT UP AND THEN BAM! Well not really bam, it didn't make much of a nose actually..." suddenly her smile became a frown as she looked to her father, "why did mine not bam?" she asked - head tilted to the side. _

_ "Because you got to be strong to hit the ball really hard. When you get older, you will be able to do it." Her father smiled and ruffled her hair. _

_ Yuki nodded, somewhat understanding before looking back to the players. "What's a spiker?" _

_ "You see the player, you just pass the ball too," her father said, Yuki nodded. "Just keep an eye on him." _

"HEY, WATCH OUT!" Yuki's eyes widened as a volleyball rebounded towards her and Ukai at a fast speed. She did not have a moment to think before her body went into action. Her left hand cupped the right, and her arms stuck straight out in front of her, her elbows locked. Her cheeks raised, nose wrinkled and jaw clenched at the stinging feeling she felt in her arms when the ball impacted with them. She had not meant to, but she received the ball, and it rebounded back to the court. The arena was silent for a moment before a round of applause started, everyone impressed that she was able to receive it with ease. She looked to Ukai, who chuckled, she had stopped the ball from hitting him.

"That was payback f-for when you s-stopped the ball from h-hitting on the f-first day," she grinned.

"Hey, are you okay, that was a pretty fast ball?" one of the players asked before Ukai could reply. Yuki turned to face him and looked down to her arms which were now red.

"Yeah, I'm a-all g-good," she gave a friendly smile.

The player relaxed, seeing she was in fact okay. "That was a pretty nice receive, do you play?" His demeanour changed, though Yuki did not notice, Ukai did.

"Use t-to when I w-was y-younger, but t-trying to g-get back into i-it."

"Well me and my friends are going out to the beach to play tomorrow if you want to come, they've all got dates and feel a bit lonely if I was the only one without one." Yuki had only just realised he was hitting on her and she did not know how to react. He was not bad looking, but she was not interested.

"S-sorry," she mumbled, sitting back down beside Ukai. "We've g-got plans t-tommorow," her thumb pointed to Ukai, and the player nodded understandably.

"Right no worries," he tapped the barrier awkwardly, "enjoy the match," he walked away, and Yuki relaxed.

"Didn't know we had plans tomorrow," Ukai teased.

"Uh, w-we d-don't. U-unless y-"

"I'm joking!" Ukai laughed before Yuki could ramble anymore, her face bright red. "But why did you reject him? Could have made some volleyball friends." Secretly, Ukai was relieved - though unsure why - that Yuki had turned the player down. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't r-really like meeting n-new people, and at the moment I'm h-happy with the f-friends I have."

"I don't think your brother and the Karasuno team can really count as friends," Ukai said with a slight grin.

"Why not?!" She replied, her mouth slightly ajar, she wanted to be angry with his comment but instead found herself fighting down a smile.

Ukai laughed. "Don't worry, having lots of friends is overrated. I only have like five, myself."

"Are you sure? T-that would have to m-mean five of t-the Karasuno t-team even like you." Ukai's face dropped, and Yuki could not help the proud grin that was on her face.

"That was hurtful," he told her, before chuckling. They both laughed together, and Ukai was surprised to see such a witty side from her. The more time he spent with her, the more he learned how little he really knew her.

_ "If they win this next point, they take the first set," Yuki's father whispered as everyone patiently waited for Japan to serve. Yuki had not sat down since the first serve, being too excited and was clinging to the top of the barrier, her eyes never leaving the ball. She did not fully understand the game yet, but slowly she was getting the hang of it and understood when Japan scored a point. She had kept her eyes on the player from before. He was the one that jumped really high and scored many of the points. The game was back into play when Japan served, and the room grew silent as it was received. It was a long rally between the two teams, neither letting the ball drop, but finally, there was a breakthrough. From the very back line the ball was received, multiple of the Japan team ran forward as the setter launched it forward. The player from before - his name was Samonji - had jumped high, higher than any of his other jumps, and slammed the ball straight through a triple defence block. There was a moment of silence before the crowd cheered as Japan took the first set. Yuki felt her hair stand on end as the team praised Samonji. Her heart beat fast as her eyes scanned the audience. _

_ "I want to be a spiker, dad." _

_ \-- _

_ Yuki stood in the middle of the court as she watched the ball go back and forth between her team and the opposing. It was match point for Karasuno, they were a set behind and if they lost that one they were out of the nationals. Yuki was stuck on what to do, the opposing team had incredible defence and often found herself against a triple block. She had used multiple tactics that game but the other team was starting to catch on. She watched the ball go back to Karasuno's side, she prepared herself as it landed in the setters hands. _

_ "TO ME!" She yelled as she started sprinting towards the net. Tactics was not always the way to win a game, sometimes it was by pure force. Her arms swung back as she flew into the air, the triple block was once again facing her as the ball came towards her. With all her might, she swung her left hand back and connected with the ball perfectly, smashing through the triple block and hitting the floor on the other side. _

Yuki stared at her hand as she remembered the stinging feeling that was left after hitting a ball so hard. Some found it weird that she loved the feeling so much, but it made her feel like she had done everything she could to get a point, she used all the strength she could have, and if the team still lost after that, then she could not be disappointed with herself.

The match between Japan and Canada had come to an end. Most of the game neither talked, Yuki was so focused that Ukai did not want to take her attention away from it. During the second set, Yuki pulled out her phone and started writing down some notes. Sometimes she would speak to him about what was going on in the match, but she never looked over to him, and part of him wondered if she was just talking to herself and he could just hear. But either way, he didn't mind, it was almost like he was seeing how her brain worked when it came to volleyball, and she noticed a lot of things he did not.

The car journey was quiet, but not awkward like before. It was comfortable, with the music in the background and just relaxing. Yuki wrote multiple more notes on her phone, and Ukai allowed her to stay focused on it.

"Alright, home sweet home," Ukai said as he parked up outside the house. He looked at her as she unbuckled her seat belt.

"Thank you," she mumbled. "For e-everything. I r-really appreciate it."

"No worries, little crow." Yuki looked to her feet as her cheeks burned up at the nickname. He called her it multiple times before, but she never really took notice until then. It was cute.  _ His little crow. _ Her eyes widened at the thought, and she shook her head as her face heated up. They were just friends. Everything he did to help her was so she would be a better coach for Karasuno, that was all. "Will I see you back at training or-"

"Yes," she answered before he could say anything else. "O-one hundred per cent." Both smiled.

"Good, and if you want, we can start with your training straight after too."

"M-my training?"

"Yeah, you said you needed help with playing again. Remember we said because I'm a setter I could help you spike."

Yuki grew red. She had forgotten about that and thought he would have too. "W-we don't have t-to d-o th-"

"We're going to, okay? After training, we'll stay back for a bit, and before you say anything, it's fine. I want to help, I want to see you fly again too."

Yuki once again grew red. "Okay, b-but only if I-I can c-come and h-help you at t-the store afterwards."

"No, it's fine-"

"I-I want to. T-then we a-are helping each other." She looked at him and grinned. "And I-I also don't h-have to lie to m-my parents anymore." Ukai thought for a moment, but he could not fight against her pleading eyes.

"Fine, but you don't have to stay for any longer than you have too. You can leave when you're ready or get tired."

"I'm g-going to s-stay until the s-store closes e-everytime just like y-you do, and n-no arguing." She pointed to him with her finger and gave a playful stern look.

"Fine," he smiled. "have a goodnight, and I'll see you Monday." He finished as she opened the car door.

"Again, t-thank you, U-ukai."

"Call me, Keishin." She raised an eyebrow to him. "Keishin is my first name. If I call you Yuki it seems only right that you call me Keishin."

"Keishin..." she mumbled before smiling, his name literally means 'training crows and connecting hearts', and Yuki found it sweet. He was born for this. "H-have a g-goodnight Keishin." Yuki shut the door and gave a final wave before she walked into the house, and Ukai was unsure of the feeling he got in his stomach when she called him that.


	14. Back To Training

That morning the sun seemed to shine brighter than any other day when Yuki saw it when she woke up. She had energy and a smile plastered on her face. She felt different after that day at the volleyball match with Ukai. She felt alive. She wanted to get up and be productive, make the best of each day. With a quick stretch, she was to her feet and got changed into suitable clothes. She checked the time, 7:00 am, which meant she could make breakfast for the family.

"I thought you were helping Grandad?" Yú was the first one downstairs - surprisingly - his hair flat and eyes half-open.

"I f-finished. Back now, n-not happy t-to see me?" Yuki teased as she placed food into a bowl.

"Of course, I am! It was kind of boring coming home to just mum and dad." Yuki breathed a laugh. "Does that mean you'll be coming to practise today as well?" His eyes lit up at the realisation, and she nodded, making him jump up, and fist bump the air. "YES! Since the Aoba Johsai match, we have been working so hard and can't wait to show you our improvements! Next time we meet them, we are to win for sure!" Suddenly, Yú looked wide awake, his usually energetic self had returned.

Yuki chuckled. "I can't w-wait." She smiled as she placed his food in front of him. They talked for a little longer before he suddenly started shouting again, ensuring to wake up the neighbourhood if they were not already.

"YOU CAN COME WITH US TO TOKYO NOW!"

"Tokyo?"

"YEAH! WE GOT INVITED BY THE NEKOMA COACH THAT USED TO KNOW OLD UKAI AND THERE'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT TEAMS WE CAN PRACTISE AGAINST!"

"Why must you always yell?" their father mumbled as he made his way into the kitchen. "And you can't even go unless you pass all your classes so not sure why you're getting so excited," Yú's face dropped. "Morning sweetie," he gave Yuki a small kiss on the head before taking a seat. Yuki had seen her parents when she got home the night before, she assumed Yú was out with Tanaka.

The morning went as it usually did. Yuki and Yú's mother joined them not long after, and before Yuki knew it, she was alone. Yú had school, and her parents had to go to work. She tapped her fingers on her desk as she sat in her room. She had hours before practice started, and because she was so excited to see Ukai - her face grew bright red at the thought - because she was excited to see the whole team, time was moving extremely slowly. With a shake of her head, she stood and grabbed her tracksuit. She hoped a run would make time go by faster. And faster it did. Yuki was so out of touch with the time that by the time she arrived home, it was 3:00pm.

"NOT AGAIN!" Yuki shouted to herself before running up the stairs.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Saza - her mother, who had just got back from work - asked.

"Y-YES!" Yuki screamed back before rummaging through her clothes. She needed something appropriate for both coaching and training with Ukai - no, Keishin - after. She arrived at training just in time to see the team setting up the equipment.

"COACH NISHINOYA IS BACK!" Yelled Hinata, ensuring everyone looked her way. She forced a broad smile, despite feeling nervous under everyone's stares.

"Of c-course I am! H-how am I g-going t-to help get to N-nationals if I'm n-not here?" All the boys instantly became red, making Yuki chuckled, for once she was not the one embarrassed by people’s comments. As the team continued to set up, Yuki could not help but realise she could not see Uka - Keishin. He was never early, but he was never late, even by a few minutes. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she went to grab her phone, he probably would have messaged her. Her eyes widened at the realisation that she did not have her phone. She mentally scolded herself as she remembered she had placed it on her bed and forgot to pick it up when she left the house.

"Damn it, Yuki!" She mumbled to herself, annoyed. She needed to get herself organised better.

Few more minutes had passed, Keishin had still not arrived, and the boys had set up the equipment. They stood staring at her, and she knew what she needed to do.

"Ten l-laps around the c-court..." she said out loud, the boys did not move, wondering if she was serious. "NOW!" She clapped her hands multiple times, making them jump and instantly start moving. She puffed out her cheeks as she tried her best not to show her nerves to the rest of the boys. She knew they respected her, but that did not mean talking to them in a large group made it any easier. "Keishin where are you..."

Hinata and Kageyama were unsurprisingly the first ones to finish the laps and were standing in front of her with wide eyes waiting for her next instructions. Her foot nervously tapped the floor as her eyes continuously looked to the sports hall entrance. Suddenly, the door opened, and Yuki felt instant relief when Keishin walked in.

"Sorry I'm late," he said as he walked in, placing his car keys and jacket onto the floor. "I want ten laps around the court!"

"BUT WE JUST DID 10 LAPS COACH!" Tanaka cried.

"Well do another ten," Keishin answered, still not spotting that Yuki was also there.

"I was a-actually thinking some p-passing drills with t-them next," Yuki spoke confidently, her hand on her hip which was cocked to the side.

"Yuki, you're here..."

"Of course." Keishin's shocked expression relaxed. "By t-the way, you're late," she mumbled as she walked past him. "Think you s-should do ten laps f-for that as well." Keishin watched as she walked away from him, a smirk playing on his lips. The new confidence, he liked it. "Gather i-in," she said to the boys as they started to get tired from running. "While Coach U-Ukai runs his l-laps for b-being late-"

"YOU WERE SERIOUS?" He yelled from the other side of the hall, making everyone laugh.

"You g-guys can start on s-some p-passing drills." She ignored his outburst, though she struggled to keep down a laugh. "Find a-a partner, and get s-started." The boys went off as Keishin made his way to stand next to her.

"Damn, that m-must be some r-record time for t-ten laps," she said, looking at her wrist pretending to check the time. He gave her a playful glare which made her chuckle. "Why w-were you late?"

"Uh, well, you see," He started, Yuki raised an eyebrow and looked at him, he avoided her eyes, and his hand scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I tried messaging you, and you didn't reply-"

"I'm s-sorry, I left it a-at home..."

"Yeah, I figured that out when your mum said you weren't home." Yuki's mouth dropped open.

"My m-mum?"

"Yeah...I don't want to talk about it..." Yuki struggled to keep herself from bursting into laughter as she imagined the awkward conversation that must have happened between the two of them. Keishin met her eyes with a side glance.

"I'm n-not laughing, I s-swear," Yuki tried to say as she bit her cheeks to hold it in. But when Keishin did not break eye contact, she could not hold it in and burst out with laughter. "I'm - sorry," she spoke through her laughter, as she saw his cheeks go slightly red. "Why did y-you go to m-my house, though?" she managed to ask once she calmed herself down.

"I thought you were just ignoring me again, and well - uh" he once again avoided her eyes, and it was like the two had switched roles. She usually was the one struggling to get her words out. "I was going to come to get you basically," he chuckled stiffly, "I did not want to - well - not like not allow you - but - uh -" he rubbed the back of his neck before sighing, "I didn't want you to push me away again."

Yuki felt like her heart dropped into her stomach. She did not realise how much she had hurt him. She did not think he cared if she ignored him. She bit down on her bottom lip and gently grabbed the hand that was by his side. He looked at her, confused, as his ears grew pink.

"I promise I-I won't ever i-ignore you, or t-try push you away again. I'm h-here to stay. You're s-stuck with me." She smiled softly.

"Good, because the team needs you here. I need you, I can't put up with this lot alone." Both chuckled as her eyes looked down before fluttering back up. Neither realised how close they were standing, their faces not too far apart, and both had a strange urge to get closer. Unconsciously, for a moment, she looked to his lips and back to his eyes, Keishin felt a strange feeling at the bottom of his stomach when he caught it. Their faces were ever so slowly growing closer together, they found each other's eyes and Yuki bit down on her bottom lip, while Keishin's arm suddenly shot up, blocking a volleyball that got far too close to both their heads.

"HINATA! CONTROL THE GODDAMN BALL!" Uka - Keishin yelled, pulling away from her.

"Sorry Coach!"

"You nearly hit my sister dumbass!" Yú retaliated by throwing a ball to Hinata's head, making everyone chuckle.

"I guess, I owe y-you for s-saving me again," Yuki snickered as she walked behind Keishin whose ears grew pink once again. "I think y-you need to c-change the drill before H-Hinata becomes Spike d-deprived."

The session went as usual. Yuki ensured to stay as involved with drills as possible like just before the inter-high tournament and had a laugh with the team. She found herself getting closer with them, and closer she got with them, the more comfortable she would be. She wanted them to win. She wanted to see them at the top.

"Alright, good session. Everyone, cool down. No need to pack away today." Keishin said as the boys grabbed a drink from the side. He had worked them hard.

"We don't need to pack up?" Daichi questioned.

"No, the principal wants to go through some equipment to ensure it's all in good condition. So get going, and I'll stay back." He told the team.

"I'm going t-to stay b-back too, to h-help pack it all u-up when the i-inspection is done." The team nodded, and before they knew it, Keshin and Yuki were left alone in the hall. "What's going t-to be your excuse for n-next time?"

"I'm sure I'll think of something. Ready to get some spikes in?"

Yuki stood at the end of the court. Her eyes closed, and she focused on her breathing. It was a mental block that stopped her from jumping. Nothing else. She needed to relax, she had Keishin by her side, she could do it. She could Fly-

"What are you doing?" he pulled her from her trance.

"Preparing to s-spike?" she answered, unsure why he asked such a silly question.

"You haven't warmed up yet." Her face dropped. "Ten laps around the court. Can't have you getting injured in the first session." He crossed his arms with a smug grin, while Yuki's mouth slightly opened with the tip of her tongue showing.

"Sure, but y-you've got to d-do it too," she sassed, walking over to him.

"Me?"

"Are you not t-training with me? If you g-get hurt who will s-set for me?"

Multiple times Keishin opened his mouth to retaliate, but after a few moments looking like a fish out of the water, he puffed his cheeks before blowing raspberries. "Fine," he took his jumper off, his shirt slightly rising with it, which caught Yuki's eyes for a moment, and she subconsciously ran her tongue over her lips. "Just try to keep up," and before she could respond, he started making his way around the court, snickering.

Yuki shook her head before starting the run herself. She found it amusing that he thought she could not keep up when in fact, she knew she would be far faster than him.

"Going a b-bit slow there, don't y-you think?" She asked as she easily caught up to him. His eyes widened.

"How-" he had no time to say anything as she was already around the next corner.

"Might lap y-you at this r-rate," she laughed, looking back at him. Keishin shook his head before speeding up, and by the end, both were tired, and Keishin was secretly very relieved she did not lap him, but there was no way he was catching up to her.

"You're fast, I'll give you that," he said, catching the towel that Yuki threw his way.

"Well, I d-do run every day," she smiled before throwing her water bottle to the floor. "I h-hope your setting i-is better than your r-running."

"Don't push it," he said with a playful glare and point making her giggle.

Everything grew quiet as she closed her eyes once again. She focused on her breathing and the power at her feet. All she wanted to do was jump.

"You ready little crow?"

She opened her eyes and gave a firm nod before throwing the volleyball up and passing it to Uk - Keishin. She started her sprint straight after, her focus going between the ball and net.

"Good pass, now focus your power at your feet," she heard him say, though it seemed muffled. She swung her arms back as he set the ball high in the air.

one-step

two-step

three-step

**_JUMP!_ **


	15. First Attempt

one-step

two-step

three-step

**_JUMP!_ **

Yuki's arm swung forward, a smile formed on her face as her heels left the ground. She was going to jump. She was going to-

"YUKI!" Keishin ran forward, stopping the falling ball from hitting her head. He had almost forgotten that Yuki was struggling to jump.

"I didn't j-jump..." she mumbled, realising she had just raised to her tiptoes.

"It's okay, we try again," he said, grabbing another volleyball and walking back to where he stood before. Yuki nodded and tried not to show her disappointment; she could not expect to jump again straight away.

The two repeated the process many times, but to no avail. After over half an hour of trying, she bent over exhausted her hands rested on her knees to hold herself up.

"I can't d-do it..." she murmured, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"It's fine, you'll do it soon," he replied, walking over to her and handing her a bottle of water. She mumbled a 'thank you' before chugging it down. She stared at the net as the two stayed in silence for a few moments.

"W-what if I can't s-spike?" Keishin raised an eyebrow to her. "I can't e-even jump. I'm worried t-that once I-I jump I won't be a-able to s-spike..." His hand went to his chin as he thought deeply. He needed to help her, but if she could not get to the right height, how would they know if she could spike.

Yuki had taken a seat on one of the benches as she took big gulps of her drink. "I got it," Keishin clicked his fingers and ran off before she could ask anything. She went to stop him but instead sighed to herself. She stared at the water bottle that was in her hand, her fingers tapping on it.

"Don't be nervous. We're going to win." Yuki told the first-year setter - Amni.

"I'm not nervous..." Amni lied. Yuki breathed a laugh. She leaned down to Amni, her fingertips tapping on the bottle, copying the first-year setter.

"You always do that when you're nervous," Yuki smiled. "We got this." Amni gave a soft smile and nodded. "Now come give me some sets."

"Damn, that's heavier than it looks," Keishin breathed out heavily as he wiped the sweat off his forehead with his forearm. Yuki glanced up to see a step ladder beside the net. "Alright, ready?" He asked, bringing his hands together, a soft smile on his face as he looked towards Yuki.

"R-ready?"

"Yeah, well if you can't jump to the height to spike, you can stand on this - at least we can see if you can still spike."

Yuki's mouth hung open, but the side of her lips pulled up, giving her an open mouth smile. She felt a mix of emotions, but mainly she was shocked that he would go through so much effort to help her.

"Let's do it." She said, a new sudden spring to her step as she approached him.

Yuki made her way to the top of the stepladder. It was thick and easy for Yuki to stand on. When at the top of it, she could see just over the net. Keishin was standing opposite her on the floor.

"Alright, just, eh - hit it." He told her.

"To you?"

"Yeah, I'll receive it." He bent his knees, ready for her spikes.

"Eh - okay..." Yuki mumbled as she looked down at the volleyball that sat in between her hands. "Just hit it..."

"Throw it up first, like you're serving and just give it a good smack!" He told her.

"A good s-smack," she giggled. "I guess I c-can do that..." She took a sharp breath before throwing the ball into the air. She watched it like an eagle watching its prey. Her left arm reached back, bending at the elbow, before quickly launching forward, her arm snapping straight and hand connecting with the side of the ball.

**_Whoosh_ **

It flew to the left, missing Keishin completely, hitting the line on the edge of the court. Yuki's eyes widened with awe as she looked at her red hand. "I-I hit it..." she mumbled.

"Nice spike Yuki!" Keishin cheered, though for a moment he was in a trance of shock with how powerful the hit was.

"I did it!" She said again but louder this time, her grin becoming wider.

"Yeah you did!" His fist clenched together by his side as his eyes lit up, something about seeing Yuki being so happy made him want to smile more. "Another one!" Yuki nodded, quickly grabbing another ball into her hands. She did the same again, but that time she hit the ball far to the right. The ball once again landed near the line at the edge of the court.

"There's a reason I'm not a Libero; there's no way I'm receiving those." Keishin chuckled his hand awkwardly at the back of his neck. "Try to aim for me, and then I can dig it up back to you to spike again."

"I'll try, b-but I'm not s-sure how much c-control I have over my a-aim..." she replied nervously with a large closed eye smile.

"You got it, easy," he told her. She bit her bottom lip and gave a stern nod. If Keishin believed in her, then she could do it.

Yuki took another sharp breath, and locked eyes with him, he grinned and gave a simple nod, which she returned. Her smile faded as she concentrated. Her eyes watched the ball as it went into the air, she glanced back at him for a moment, she needed to hit it towards him. Her left arm mimicked the same actions as the last two times, but this time she ensured to keep her hand straight.

**_Whoosh_ **

Yuki watched as the ball spun directly towards Keishin.

**_Smack_ **

She saw by his face that the impact onto his arms strung, but he received it nonetheless, the ball flying back to Yuki. "AGAIN!" He yelled. She did not bother responding as her arm once again swung, hitting the ball back to him, but this time it tilted slightly to the right, Keishin stepped to the side, receiving it and sending it back to her once again. "Again! Keep it straight; you got it!" She nodded, her eyes watching as the ball started to fall back down, she glanced at him again. "Aim for him..." she mumbled before once again smacking it. She smirked, knowing she had hit it straight back, but her smile dropped as her eyes widened in horror.

"KEISHIN!" Yuki yelled as the ball smacked him in the face, sending him flying back and to the floor. "Keishin!" She screamed again, running down the ladder, ducking under the net and sliding to the floor beside him. "Are y-you okay?"

"You've got quite a strong spike there, don't ya?" he chuckled, though she could hear the pain in his voice. His hand was over his nose. Gently she placed her hand over his.

"Let me s-see." Yuki could see his discomfort as he allowed her to pull his hand away. Her eyes widened, as her free hand shot up to her own face to cover her smile.

"Is it bad?" he groaned.

"Eh - it's just t-this area..." she mumbled her hand moving from her face, and hovered over his, making a circling motion. "Is a bit r-red..." she tried her best not to laugh.

"Next time I'm going to wear a helmet." he chuckled, trying his best not to show his pain.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled her giggles fading as a pit of guilt filled in the bottom of her stomach.

"Don't be silly, I should have stepped back to receive it," he answered as he sat up, his face scrunched up as he tried to get rid of the pain.

"Oh s-shit..." she mumbled, blood started trickling from his nose. She stood and rushed to her bag.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it," Keishin tried his best to brush it off, knowing she would feel guilty, but she simply waved him off and sat down next to him, a tissue in hand.

"Come here." She placed her hand on his face and gently made him face her as she started to clean up the blood. After a moment her cheeks grew red as she realised what she was doing "S-sorry, I just used to d-do it with Yú all t-the time..." she stopped and pulled her hand away, eyes looking down as she felt her face heat up.

"It's okay..." Keishin stared at Yuki fondly. He felt his own cheeks burn up slightly when he saw how bright hers were. He thought it was cute. He thought she was cute. "At least we know you can spike now," he tried his best to break the tension. Yuki looked back and gave a faint smile.

"You're a pretty good receiver, not many people can get the ball back to me like you did," she complimented.

"I've been playing a long time," he answered, ensuring to keep his nerves at ease.

Beep. Beep.

Keishin pulled out the phone from his pocket.

"It's time to pack up..." He mumbled, reading the alert on his phone. "Think it is a good time to call it anyway, with everything that has happened." Yuki nodded and both quickly packed up all the equipment, both sneaking glances at each other.

"Oh, shit..." Yuki mumbled as she grabbed her bag. The equipment was put anyway, and they were ready to go to the store.

"What's up?"

"I f-forgot a change of c-clothes for the s-store..." she mumbled, her eyes looking down at her shuffling feet.

"Ah shit," Keishin's hand raised to the back of his neck, the other grabbing his phone and looking at the time. "I have to be at the store in five minutes, I won't be able to drop you off..."

"I can meet you a-at the store a little l-later, if that is okay?"

"Yeah, of course, I mean you don't have to come-"

"I'm coming! I l-like to helping you." She gave a closed-eyes smile. Keishin sighed softly but smiled.

"Fine, but it's dark, so make sure to message me." She nodded, and the two went their separate ways.

"I'll be there as quickly a-as possible!" Yuki told him before jogging off back to her house. Keishin watched her leave and wished he had time to drop her off home before going to work. It was dark out, and it made him uncomfortable knowing she was out alone.

Yuki was out of breath when she made it back home. Usually, the run had no effect on her, but she panicked as she thought that the longer she took, the longer she was not at the store helping Keishin. She busted into the house, scaring her parents who were in the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" they asked as she sprinted upstairs and into the bathroom.

"Yeah, j-just need to g-get ready for w-work!"

"Work?" Saza asked, walking up the stairs and standing outside the bathroom door as the water started to run. "I thought you said you quit your job at the library?"

"I did I g-got a job a-at the local s-store...you know the Sakanoshita S-Shop..."

Saza stayed quiet, and Yuki took that as she was in the clear. Yuki was worried for any more questions, she did not want her mother to know she had been playing volleyball again.

"Okay...but I need to talk to you before you leave." Yuki's eyes widened at her mother's words. Her anxiety shot to the roof. What could her mother possibly want to talk to her about? She tried to shake the thought from her head as she jumped out of the shower and grabbed suitable clothes to work in. She tried her best to sneak out of the house - not wanting to talk to her mother - but Saza knew her daughter too well.

"How have you been?" She asked her daughter before she could open the front door. Yuki mentally scolded herself for not being faster.

"I've been g-good," she turned and smiled at Saza.

"Mmhm," Yuki slightly cowered at her mother's stare. "A guy was here earlier, and he was asking for you." Yuki's face grew pink when she realised her mother was talking about Keishin. "He said something along the lines of 'he wanted to make sure you were okay'..." Yuki looked to the ground as she bit the bottom of her lip as a smile started to form. "Is there something I need to know?"

Yuki looked back to her mum and shook her head. "Not anymore, right n-now, I'm good, I'm h-happy. Promise." Saza squinted as she stared at her daughter, looking for any lies, but after a moment she relaxed and gave a light smile.

"Good, but you know I'm here if you need anything."

"I know. I l-love you." Yuki gave her mum a hug before opening the door.

"But who was the guy? What's his name? Should I be conce..." Saza's voice faded as Yuki ran down the path, not wanting to answer any of her questions because once she answered one she would never stop asking questions and Yuki would never make it to the store.

When Yuki could no longer hear her mother's voice, she slowed down. The store was only a few minutes away, she did not want to rush there just after she showered, the last thing she wanted was to smell or be out of breath. However, she found herself walking far slower than usual as she was in a daydream. Her and Keishin were playing volleyball together. But for real, on a team. She would call for the ball, and as she jumped into the air, he would give her a perfect set, allowing her to hit a strong spike to get a point for their team. And after they would all cheer, and Keishin would wrap his arms around her and pull her into a tight hug.

"Nice spike Yuki!" He would say with a big grin. They met eyes.

"Nice set," she would reply before he could kiss h-.

Yuki shook her head, the daydream disappearing and her cheeks hot. She looked up to see she stood on the other side of the road of the store. Her stomach turned with nerves, but she could not stop the grin on her face. Keishin brought out something new in her, and despite the fact that he made her feel sick with nerves, all she wanted to do was to see him. She sucked in a quick breath before crossing the road and entering the store. Keishin sat behind the counter, feet up but instead of his newspaper out - like he usually did - he was staring at his phone, his hand pulling at his collar.

"Did I miss m-much?" Yuki asked. Keishin jumped, nearly dropping his phone in the process, making her giggle.

"YUKI!" He yelled. "WHAT HAPPENED TO MESSAGING ME?" His eyes were wide as he stood, hands planted on the counter and leaning towards her.

"Oh..." Yuki looked to the ground. "I f-forgot my phone again..." she mumbled, her ears growing pink from embarrassment though a smile was pulling at her lips as she was amused by his reaction.

Keishin sighed and sat back on his chair. His hand shot to his forehead. "What am I going to do with you..." he chuckled lightly, feeling relieved she was okay. He was thinking the worst when she had not sent him any message.

"I'm here n-now though," she looked up and smiled. He met her eyes and smiled too.

"Yeah, you are."

The store was quiet like it always was, only the odd person coming in here and there. Yuki went around the store stocking up any product that needed it and even helped in taking in numbers with what products needed ordering or not. Keishin had not told her too, but he was pleasantly surprised when he realised she was doing. It was another job he did not have to do, though he made it clear to her she did not have to do it. But every time she told him not to worry, and that she enjoyed helping.

"Yu said something a-about Tokyo...is that to do with t-the team?" Yuki asked as she stacked a shelf of chocolate.

 _"_ Oh yeah, how could I forget." Keishin dropped his feet from the counter and sat forward, pulling out a notepad from his pocket. "July 5th, we are going to Tokyo for like a training camp, but that is only going to be for one day, just going for a meet up per se, but on the 20th we are going to go there for a whole week. The Nekoma Coach invited us, and there are going to be multiple top-level teams, and it'll be perfect to see where we stand against them. We can learn a lot and, well, uh - it could be good if you could come too."

"Yeah, of c-course, it'll be fun." Yuki smiled.

Yuki did not realise, but Keishin spent most of the time watching her as she went around doing things. But he did not realise that when he was serving customers, she would watch him. She knew he smoked - did not bother her - but there was something about how the cigarette hung from his lips that made her stare and feel something, it was strange, but she could not help it. At times she started to hum to herself various songs, and at one point, when the store was empty, Keishin would join in, and the two would sing as she went around doing various bits and bobs. At times he tried to help her, but she simply shooed him away.

Yuki was in the backroom when she heard a high pitch voice speak. Her eyebrows raised, the store was closed, and she could not help but eavesdrop.

"Keishin is she the one?"

"Mom..." Keishin groaned. "Not this again-"

"Your twenty - six, you don't have forever, I want grandkids before I hit sixty!"

"Mom..."

"What...she's beautiful, Keishin...if you don't get her now someone else will before you know it!"

"Mom stop! We're just friends! Please, stop, the last I need is you scaring her off!"

Yuki did not hear the rest of her conversation as she felt her heartbreak. She was unsure why the words hurt so bad. But it felt like she had swallowed a large pill. She did not give any thought to whether Keishin liked her or not before, but hearing that he did just see her as a friend for some reason stung.

"Yuki, are you okay?" Keishin called from the front.

"Yes, a-all good," she tried her best not to show any pain as she walked to the front of the store, her bags in hand. "Just c-checking I did everything c-correctly," she lied.

Keishin raised an eyebrow; something was off but he did not push the conversation any further. "Alright, lets go."

The car journey home was silent, and he did not like it. Something was wrong, and he could not let her go without at least asking, he had already made that mistake before.

"Are you sure everything is okay? Something seems...off." He said as the car came to a stop.

"Yes," she answered. This time though, it was not a lie. She thought deeply about the situation during the drive. There was no reason for her to be upset. It sucked that there was no possible future to be more than friends, but she was okay with that. No matter what, he would still make her smile and laugh, and he always had her back, and truly, that was all that mattered. "I will see you t-tommorow." She gave a final smile before getting out of the car and walking to her house.


	16. Plan

Two weeks had passed, and Yuki still had not jumped despite her and Keishin training every other day after practice. They would always start with jumps, but after many attempts, he would switch to other things such as spiking and receiving. Yuki was starting to lose hope, and Keishin was running out of motivational things to tell her, but he would not dare give up. He remembered seeing her jump for the first time; it was at the Miyagi Prefecture Spring Interhigh Qualifier Final against Shiratorizawa, and he remembered being in awe of her. His grandfather always spoke so highly of her, and at first, Keishin thought nothing of it, but seeing it for himself, he finally understood why his grandfather would praise her so often. He and his friends attended every match that the girls’ Karasuno team played in Nationals, and every time, they would all be taken by surprise at the skill the team had, and how Yuki Nishinoya never let her team feel defeated. Even in the back of the stands, the crowd could hear her yelling encouragement to her teammates, whether they were losing by one point or twenty. She never gave up, she always amazed everyone, and that is what made her so loved. Keishin will never forgive himself for not recognising her when they first met.

"I CAN'T DO IT!" She yelled, her hands on her knees as she panted heavily.

"YES, YOU CAN!" Keishin responded.

"I can't..." she shook her head, her eyes becoming wet. She tried to stay positive, but after hundreds of attempts at jumping and failing, a person could only take so much. It was like someone was chopping a tree. No matter how strong or thick the tree was, eventually, if a person kept hitting it in the same place with an axe, ultimately, the tree would fall. "I'm sorry K-Keishin..." she allowed her legs to give out as she fell to the floor and onto her bottom. "I'm s-sorry for wasting your t-time..."

Yuki stared blankly at the wall in front of her. Keishin watched her, his hand rubbing his forehead as he tried to think of what to do. She was so lively and excited when she first heard he was going to help her spike, but now she looked empty, her eyes emotionless and body limp. Maybe his motivational words were not helping, but one thing he knew he could do was not to let her give up. Keishin would be the rock she needed, just like she used to be for Karasuno.

"Get up!" He said bluntly. Yuki faced him; her eyebrows scrunched together. "You've got another thing coming if you think I'm letting you take the easy way out of this. We knew this would not be easy-"

"Yeah but-"

"Yeah but nothing." His bluntness caught Yuki off guard. He walked over and stood in front of her. "I don't care if this takes weeks or months. I'm not stopping until you jump and hit the best spike of your life." A slight blush crept to her cheeks. "I'm in it with you for the long run." He stuck his hand out for her to take. "Now get up, and show me how high you can jump."

Yuki stood at the end of the court with a ball in hand, Keishin standing beside the net. It had become a far too familiar sight that she started to dislike. Every time she stood there, a few moments later, she would feel heartbreak because she could not jump. No matter what she told herself, no matter what she did, she could not jump, so what made this time any different?

"Hey, look at me." Keishin caught her attention. "Stop thinking and try to remember when you were back in high school. You told me you have some memories coming back - try using one of them as a way to push past the mental block."

He was not going to give up, and she promised herself she would not let him down again. She could not give up either.

Yuki closed her eyes.

_"That was a pretty good jump," Izumi told Yuki as the two got back into their positions._

_"It was okay," Yuki answered with a shrug. "That number 4 is a pain in the ass. I have to try to hit curveballs to avoid her blocks." Izumi laughed. "Why are you laughing?"_

_"Everyone knows if you tried, you could easily jump high enough to be able to hit the ball over her." Yuki scrunched her eyebrows together._

_"If I really tried?"_

Yuki passed the ball to Keishin. He set it with ease. Her eyes never left the ball. Her arms swung forward; her legs bent as she focused all her power to her feet. She pushed up. A smile formed on her face as her heels left the ground, then her toes.

"YES YUKI!" Keishin cheered, his smile just as big as hers.

For a moment she glanced to the net, she was higher than it, she looked back up, the ball was on its way back down. She looked forward. She could see the other side. She was at the summit for the first time in years. Thousands of memories flashed in her head. From the first time she had jumped for a spike to the last.

_The last time._

Yuki's eyes widened in horror as the room grew dark. Hundreds of people surrounded her. Her eyes glanced to the left, Izumi was high in the air at the other side of the court, ready to spike. Yuki's eyebrows scrunched together as she looked forward. She could not see the other side any more; it was cut off by three blockers.

"YUKI!"

Yuki's eyes opened to see Keishin, staring down at her, his eyebrows knitted together, eyes wide with the whites showing, and his skin slightly pale.

"Yuki? Are you okay?" Even his voice was filled with worry as his hand cupped her face.

"W-what happened?"

"You passed out...you jumped but th-"

"I j-jumped?" she cut him off.

"Yeah, but you passed out, I had to catch you before you hit the floor."

"But I jumped?" she could not help the grin that formed on her face. Keishin's expression relaxed as he realised she was okay.

"Yeah, you did..." he said, a soft smiling forming on his face.

"I c-can't believe I did it..." she stared at the net, her eyes wide in awe. "I jumped! I a-actually jumped!" she squealed.

"Yeah, but let's call it a night. I can't handle that again; you scared the shit out of me." Keishin stood, his hand held out for her to take.

"Sorry..." She giggled as she took his hand. He pulled her to his feet, and the two started packing the equipment away. By then, the two had a routine, and it took them less than ten minutes to clear the hall and get into the car.

The two spent nearly every evening together, and even when they didn't, they would text each other. They had become close, and everyone around was seeing it. Yuki became so comfortable that silence between the two did not bother her anymore. They did not have to speak to enjoy each other's company. Sometimes after they finished in the store, the two would grab something to eat before he would drop her home. Yuki had concluded in the last two weeks they spent together that she had a crush on him, and if she had not heard that he did not feel the same way she would have made a move on him. However, as heartbreaking as it was to know the person she liked did not like her back, she was still happy being around him - even if they were just friends.

Yuki went around the store doing different bits and bobs as she sang to the music that was on the radio. It had become routine for her to do so, that even regular customers had become used to it. Keishin joined in if the store was empty, but if customers were around, he would pretend to read his newspaper but secretly watch her entertained.

"She's very pretty isn't she," an older lady whispered as she got to the counter. He jumped when she spoke, in a daze watching her. His cheeks grew red, knowing he had been caught staring, but he smiled softly and glanced to her again one more time. "Yes, she is..." he admitted.

Night started to fall and Yuki was finishing the last stock that needed to be done.

**_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._ **

"Hello, Ukai here," Keishin picked up the phone. Yuki was not far from him, mop in hand cleaning the floor. "Ah, you've got to be kidding me..." he mumbled, Yuki could not help but overhear the conversation he was having. "Well there is not much we can do Takinoue, no one else will be able to fill last minute..." Yuki's eyebrows scrunched together as she sneaked a glance towards him. His hand was over his face as he leaned back in his chair, obviously feeling frustrated. "I don't know what to do about Hidenori, this is the third time he has bailed on a match. At least the other two times he gave up time to find a replacement." Yuki stopped mopping as it grew silent. Keishin groaned annoyed. "We are going to have to cancel-"

"No, you don't!" Yuki ran over to him. He jumped back at her sudden appearance.

"What?"

"I can f-fill. You're talking about y-your Neighborhood Association t-team right?"

"Yeah but-"

"It's mixed r-right?"

"Uh - yeah -"

"Then let me b-be the replacement f-for your team."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Yuki," Keishin told her.

"Can your L-libero play wing spiker?" she asked, not giving up yet.

"Um - yeah, I guess."

"Then let h-him be wing spiker, and I-I can be a Libero. That w-way I don't have to j-jump!" Keishin's hand rubbed his jaw as he thought, his nose wrinkled and biting his bottom lip.

"I don't know Yuki..." he mumbled.

"Please!" Her eyes were wide as she maintained eye contact with him, her eyebrows raised and bottom lip slightly sticking out. He sighed heavily and squeezed his eyes shut before opening them quickly.

"Fine, but you're the libero." He said, finger pointing at her.

"YES!" Yuki cheered, jumping up into the air, her fist clenched as she punched upwards. Keishin chuckled, that was the first time she had resembled her brother in any way or form.

"Looks like we still have a match tomorrow," Keishin said down the phone before ending the conversation and hanging up.


	17. Little Crow

**_From Ukai:_ **

_I'll pick you up at 4._

Yuki read the message multiple times as she tried to contain the nerves that were increasing with each passing hour. There was no doubt she was excited, but part of her did worry how the game would go. She prayed she would not panic when it came down to it. She was the one who wanted to be at the match; she could not let Keishin down. Not again.

**_Knock Knock_ **

Yuki jumped at the sudden noise. She had been home alone for the last few hours and kept herself distracted by drawing. She tried her best not to overthink as she grabbed her bag and went downstairs. She opened the door to see Keishin, hands in his pockets with a friendly smile on his face.

"Ready?" he asked. Yuki nodded before following him to his car. The drive was quiet, except the odd tapping noise that came from her foot. "You okay?" She again nodded, but he frowned. "Look it's okay if you want to back out, no one will be m-"

"No! I'm going t-to do this!" she told him sternly. He chuckled lightly at her sudden outburst.

"Okay, good. I hope you have knee pads, by the way, the last thing you need is to be getting a burn trying to keep the ball up," it was a joke, he thought it was funny, considering her brother was a Libero and all. But his chuckle died down when he saw Yuki's face drop. "Yuki, please tell me you have knee pads..."

Yuki hand clasped the bottom half of her face as she stared out at the road. How did she forget knee pads? She did not want to admit she had, knowing Keishin would be irritated. He did not say anything, but she could feel him staring, boring out a hole in the side of her head. She started to nibble on a nail as she glanced at him.

"You forgot them, didn't you?" He asked though he was sure he knew the answer already. Yuki nodded slowly. "Yuki..." he placed his head on the steering wheel as they waited at a red traffic light. "You're going to be the death of me. You know that?" he turned his head to look at her.

"Sorry..." She looked away from him as guilt ate her up.

"It's fine; we'll just quickly stop off at mine, it's quicker than going back to yours, I'm sure I have a spare somewhere..." Yuki did not reply as she stared out of the window, watching the buildings go by as the traffic light became green. "Hey," his hand landed on her shoulder as he gave her a small shake. "It's okay, don't worry about it, it happens to the best of us." Keishin smiled towards her, Yuki nodded, returning the smile, though it did not stop making her feel bad. Messing up was one thing she hated more than anything. Making people go out of their way for a mistake she did was not something that sat well with her.

It only took around ten minutes for them to arrive at his place, and Yuki found herself pleasantly surprised. She thought he would live in a small apartment along a quiet street, but in fact, his house was away from anyone else - surrounded by dirt and grass.

"We're here," he said as he turned off the engine and jumped out.

"I did not t-think you would live somewhere like t-this..." she mumbled in awe of how beautiful it was.

"I grew up here with my parents, but as they grew older, my mum did not like being so far away from the store. So they moved, and I inherited this." He said as he opened the front door. She said nothing else as she entered the house - ensuring to take her shoes off first. It was clean and beautiful, it was obvious it was a family home before, pictures of family and paintings of nature scattered the walls. Everywhere was clean and neat, and Yuki was embarrassed to admit she was shocked. "Honestly, it's a bit too big just for myself, the house has been in the family for generations, so I don't have it in me to leave." She did not reply as she followed him upstairs. "Alright, knee pads, knee pads...where would I have a spare..." he mumbled to himself, his hands on his hips. "Try to look in those draws while I look in these. I'm sure they are somewhere." Yuki nodded and started to search through the ones he said, part of her feeling strange going through his belongings. She just hoped she did not suddenly pull out a pair of his boxers.

Yuki started to hum to herself as she searched each draw thoroughly. Three drawers in, and so far the knee pads were nowhere to be seen. It was apparent that the drawers she was looking through were just where extra things were placed, like the stuff you wanted to keep but did not know what to do with. Finally, reaching the bottom draw, she came across a rolled-up poster of some sort, it was worn at the edges, and curiosity got the better of her. She stood up and carefully rolled out the poster.

Her eyes watered and her mouth hung open as she stared at the image that she was holding.

Yuki's memories of her time during high school were limited, but she had a distinct memory of a poster of herself. She was not sure when - and had not asked her parents about it due to their protectiveness of the situation - but there was a segment about Yuki in the local paper which came with a large poster.

And this was that poster.

Her hand shot to the bottom of her face as she tried to hold back tears. There she was, on the poster, mid-air ready to spike. At the bottom, it wrote:

**_Yuki Nishinoya_ **

**_The girl who could fly_ **

_"Hey, what about, we see a jump? Would be a perfect picture to go with the paper!" The main man who was doing her segment in the paper said._

"Found them!" Keishin said proudly, standing up, but when he turned, he saw Yuki's back and shoulders shaking. "Are you okay?" he asked, worried something was wrong. Though when he walked over to her, he saw the poster in her hand. "I forgot I even had that," he chuckled, embarrassed that she had found it. Yuki did not reply as silent tears fell down her face. "You can keep it if you want, be a good way to motivate yourself to get that jump going again." He was unsure of what else to say; he was not the best when it came to comforting someone.

"R-really?" she turned to face him.

"Of course. But we've got to get going. Otherwise, we'll be late." She nodded and they made their way to the car, Yuki ensuring to place the poster somewhere safe in her bag.

_"How was that?" Yuki asked, grinning from ear to ear as she landed back to the floor._

_"Come look for yourself," the man taking the photo said. She ran over to him, he titled his camera to the side, showing her the picture he had taken._

_"That's awesome!" she breathed, starstruck at how she looked. He had taken the photo at the perfect moment; she was far higher than the net._

_"At the bottom, I'm going to write. Yuki Nishinoya. The girl who can fly!"_

_"The girl who can fly?"_

_"Well, Karasuno are crows, yes?"_

_"Yes..."_

_"Crows fly. You are the captain of the team, and you jump higher than anyone else. So you are the girl who can fly."_

_\--_

_"MUM! DAD! YÚ!" IT'S HERE!" The whole neighbour heard Yuki that morning when the local paper got dropped off at her house. "LOOK IT'S ME!" She opened the paper to her article, pushing it in her parents' faces when they walked over to her._

_"That's amazing, sweetheart." Her father said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her on her head as her mother read the paper enthusiastically._

_-_

_Yuki stared at her wall that was filled with volleyball posters, her arms on her waist and her chest puffed out as now her poster was also on the wall._

_"Why were you yelling...it's so early," Yú mumbled as he walked into her room, rubbing the sleep from his eyes._

_"That was like ten minutes ago."_

_"I know, I didn't want to get up. So why did you yell for me?"_

_"Look!" Yuki beamed as she pointed to her wall._

_"NO WAY!" Yú yelled, suddenly waking up. "THAT'S AMAZING!"_

_"RIGHT?" She agreed as the two yelled back and forth. "But it's missing something." Yú raised an eyebrow confused. Yuki grabbed a black permanent marker pen and walked over to the poster._

_"The photographer said that because I'm in Karasuno, that makes me a crow, so..." she started to draw on the poster. Yú's eyes widened in awe as she took a step back. "that means I don't jump - I fly..." she drew black feathers off the back of her arms - making it look like she had wings._

_"MY SISTER IS SO COOL!"_

"Come on; you've got to meet everyone." Keishin pulled Yuki from her daze. She looked up to see they were outside a gymnasium. She did not say anything as they walked inside. Keishin signed both of them in at the reception, and she followed him down the halls, though even if he were not there, she would have known where to go. She could hear the sound of shoes sliding across the floor and balls getting slammed from the entrance of the building.

"Finally decided to turn up did ya?" Someone spoke as Keishin opened the double doors. The light blinded Yuki for a second, but as her vision evened out, she could see the large hall they would be playing in. There were stands for spectators on the right-hand side of the court. Volleyballs scattered everywhere. A net was already up, and two teams were warming up on either side.

"Yeah sorry, we had to take a little detour," Keishin answered, placing his stuff on the floor by the wall.

"I'm guessing you are the Yuki that Keishin keeps telling us about?" The same man who greeted Keishin said as she approached everyone. She could not help but feel a little nervous with so many new people looking at her, so she simply nodded. Though she found it amusing that Keishin's cheeks grew red when the guy mentioned he had told them about her.

"You can find out everyone's names while warming up," Keishin said, clapping his hands together and starting a jog back and forth between the net and the backcourt line. Everyone followed his lead, and as he said, Yuki spoke to many of the other players as they ran back and forth.

Takinoue - the one who greeted them - was a middle blocker. Shimada, a man with glasses and dark hair, was a wing spiker. Mori, a shy but tall man, was a middle blocker. Saibti - the shortest of the team - was usually the libero, but would be playing wing spiker to allow Yuki to play as libero. And lastly was Ikio who was an opposite hitter. It was a lot of information to take in, but she was sure once the game started, she would begin to remember the names.

"Alright, get into partners, practise those receives and spikes!" Keishin gave another command. Yuki was going to ask Keishin to be her partner, knowing she was comfortable with him, but Ikio had beat her to it.

"Ikio we were meant to let Yuki and Kieshin play together!" Takinoue tried to say discreetly, but Yuki heard the comment loud and clear.

"Don't worry I-I'll partner up w-with Shimada," she looked to the man with glasses, "if t-that is okay w-wth you, that is."

"Yeah, of course," he gave a friendly smile, and the two walked away. From the corner of her eyes, Yuki saw Keishin slightly frown, though it was quickly replaced with his usual resting face.

Yuki and Shimada went back and forth with the ball. One was spiking it and the other receiving it back to them. They did five spikes, then switched with each other. Shimada spent most of the time complementing Yuki on her skills - surprised that someone who had not played Volleyball for over four years still was so good. All the team knew who Yuki was before Keishin told them anything, and they wanted nothing more than to help her.

**_preet preet_ **

The whistle from the referee had signalled that the match was about to start. Yuki started the game off the court, and as the team rotated, she would replace one of the middle blockers. She got herself a drink, the warm-up tiring her out more than expected, and when she turned, she could not help her cheeks from becoming red. Keishin had taken off his outer layers and was now in a pair of black shorts, white knees pads, grey shoes and a fitted yellow top. She tried her best not to stare, but she was struggling - this crush of hers was starting to become a problem. But not only did she find him extremely attractive, but she was seeing a new side to him. She had never seen him with his friends before, he was focused on the game but at the same time having a laugh. She had never seen him play before, and she was in a trance watching him. Not only were his sets accurate, but he was a smart player. Reading the other teams moves and playing off that, it was obvious he had played with this team for a long time, sometimes there was nothing said between them, and they would get a point.

"Yuki, you're on!" One of the guys told her, taking her from her daze. She nodded and jogged to the court.

Shimada started the game with his serve, and Keishin could not help but keep an extra eye on Yuki. He was worried that it could all be too much for her. She had told him about her memories coming back, what if the wrong memories came back to her during the match? What if she panicked? He needed to be ready for it.

Yuki watched the ball as it flew past the net and to the other side. The opposition libero received the ball easily, sending it to the setter. Time slowed as Yuki watched the other team get ready to jump for a spike. But the question was, who would the setter be going to send the ball too?

_"Hey, Sanri," Yuki called over the Libero as they were on a water break. It was only their third session training as a team, but Yuki saw potential everywhere. "When the ball is given to the setter, use that time to watch the spikers - all of them - not just the ones who start running, because a spike can be sent from anywhere on the court. Far left, far right, and even far back. Don't get tricked, okay?"_

Yuki did not move as two people jumped into the air, her eyes shot in the centre of the court, one of their wing spikers had jumped late from the very back of the court. Yuki moved to the side, to line up with him.

"BACK ATTACK!" Keishin yelled, but the blockers had already jumped, and they were not quick enough to jump again. However, Yuki had it covered. The ball shot towards her, her arms took the impact, and a small squeal escaped her lips at the sudden pain.

"NICE YUKI!"

The ball flew up into the air and towards Keishin, who set it to Takinoue, he spiked it with ease earning The Neighbourhood Association team another point. The team huddled together, complementing each other before splitting again, though Keishin stayed beside Yuki for a moment, seeing her arms bright red.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Yuki smiled, she too was looking at her arms that looked sunburnt, "he just had a-a strong spike. But I'll get used to it."

"Good," he smiled before going to his position.

The game went on, and the Neighbourhood Association Team was the better team and had a few points lead. Yuki was growing comfortable, she never used her voice out loud, but she had a smile on her face the whole time. The atmosphere around her brought back fun memories she had with the team during her time at Karasuno. Mori had accidentally, got himself caught in the net, and everyone had a good laugh about it. She was happy. She missed the feeling of being a team. Where everyone has your back no matter if you win or lose. Coaching the Karasuno team was similar, but it was not the same as playing. Some people crumble under pressure, but Yuki thrived off it.

The first set ended with the Neighbourhood Association winning 25 to 19. Everyone chugged down their drinks as they caught their breath before going into the second set. It was a best of 3, so if they won the next set they would win the whole game.

"You sure got a good volleyball brain up there," Takinouse complimented.

"Volleyball b-brain?"

"Yeah, you read the game well, and rather than guessing who's going to spike you make educated predictions that most to the time are right. It's pretty impressive, really." He complimented, and the rest of the team agreed. She smiled as her cheek grew red, not to do being praised.

The second set was well on the way, and it was just as the first, Neighbourhood Association taking a few points lead, though with having no subs, it was obvious the team was growing a little tired and making small mistakes. Yuki watched Keishin set a ball and Takinoue got the team another point.

 _"NICE SPIKE!" Yuki called out to her teammates as she watched from the sidelines. Anmi, the first-year setter sat beside her_.

_"Can I ask you a question?" she asked shyly. Yuki looked at her._

_"Of course what's up?"_

_"Why do you like playing wing spiker so much?"_

_Yuki breathed a laugh. "I'm assuming you're asking that because I'm somewhat the brains of the team, and possibly I'd be better as a setter."_

Yuki watched as the ball landed in Keishin's hands again, his eyes shot back to look at Mori, tricking the opponents, before quickly setting the ball to Shimada who was on the other side of the court.

_"And you probably think I only like being a wing spiker because that is what gets the crowd going the most. When you hit a spike and win your team a point, that feeling is amazing, when the crowd chant your name, and your teammates congratulate you-"_

Shimada slammed the ball down, getting the Neighbourhood Association Team a point.

"Nice spike!" everyone told him as they huddled together quickly before separating back into their positions.

_"But that's not why I love being a wing spiker."_

Yuki watched with eagles eyes as the ball rallied back and forth between the two teams. There was spike after spike and block after block. Even she had to dive for a ball or two to save it from touching the floor. The ball flew high in the air, the team was split, and no one was close for Keishin to set it to.

_"Sometimes, before I go to spike, I would yell really loudly for the ball on purpose to catch the other team's attention,"_

"OVER HERE!" Yuki yelled, catching the attention of everyone, that was the first time she spoke loudly during the match.

_"-and when I run before jumping, I would see their faces, I would analyse them to try to predict what their next move would be."_

The opposition's eyebrows raised and they gave each other confused glances. Keishin knew what was happening, and despite being concerned, he did as she asked, sending the ball in her direction.

_"It's that last step that was always the scariest. Focusing all my power into my feet so you could launch high required a lot more effort than people realise, but once you realise that power and your arms swing up too, it's that moment that is the reason I love to be a wing spiker."_

Yuki didn't think about jumping; she simply watched as the ball soared through the air towards her. She just needed to reach it, but Keishin had been setting for his team for the whole match, and they were far taller than she was, he had accidentally tossed it higher than he usually would for Yuki.

Her knees bent.

Her arms swung back.

She focused the power at her feet.

Her eyes stayed on the ball.

In a single motion, her legs straightened and arms swung forward, and she shot up into the air.

_"You're higher in the air, higher than anyone on the court-"_

Yuki's heart swelled with joy as she looked over the net and down at the other team. Their blockers jumped up, but even then, she was higher.

_"-and I'm lucky when I'm up there, it's like time stops, everything goes dark, and I can see a single spotlight where I should aim the ball-"_

She smirked as the world around her grew dark, a single spotlight appeared on the floor at the right of the blocker's arms, there was a gap with the other player’s, and at the speed she would hit the ball, no one would be able to dig it up.

_"-and because of that, it feels like for a few seconds I'm flying."_

Everyone watched in awe. No one - not even Keishin - thought she would be able to jump high enough to reach the ball. But there she was, proving everyone wrong and only a moment later she threw her left arm forward, her hand connecting with the ball and sending it flying past the net and blockers. It hit the floor before their libero could react.

Yuki's feet touched the floor. Everyone was silent. She looked at her red hand. She grinned as it stung. She looked back up to see the net. It was no longer daunting. She had jumped far higher than it. It was no longer her enemy, but a simple obstacle she had to get passed to score her team a point.

"NICE SPIKE YUKI!" Takinoue broke the silence as the team walked towards her. Keishin stayed still as his shocked expression finally broke into a grin. He felt a wave of emotions that ranged from fear that she would pass out again to happiness, her vibrant energy had rubbed off on everyone, but mainly he was proud. She had gone from not wanting to be part of volleyball anymore to being in a match. Yesterday she thought she would not be able to jump and spike ever again, but now she had jumped higher than anyone else, and showed everyone what she could really do.

"Uh - that point doesn't count-" Keishin was pulled from his trance. He looked to the man who was speaking; it was the referee. "She's the libero; she's not allowed to spike." Everyone on the team sweatdropped, feeling like idiots for not realising themselves.

"Sorry, I got caught in the m-moment..." Yuki mumbled, feeling bashful.

"Don't be sorry, that was an awesome spike!" Takinoue said, slapping her back, making her jump but chuckle.

"T-thanks."

"Hey look, if I knew you could jump like that I would rather you be the wing spiker than me!" Saibti - the original libero - said. Yuki nibbled down on her bottom lip as she glanced at Keishin. Everyone followed her line of sight and a second later, the whole team was waiting for the answer from the captain.

"Uhhh-" his hand raised and rubbed his forehead, his eyes closed as he thought for a moment. Yuki knew he had every right to say no after she passed out the day before, but she hoped he would let her. "I don't know..." He opened his eyes and met Yuki's; instantly, he regretted it. She was giving him big puppy dog eyes, and he did not have it in him to deny her the chance to be a wing spiker again. He sighed deeply before speaking. "Fine, fine, Yuki can be the wing spiker!"

"Yes," they all cheered, the others high fived each other, but Yuki ran over to him, squealing as she did and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said, holding him tight, slightly jumping with excitement. After a moment, her eyes widened as she realised what she had done, she let go and took a step back, her hands fiddling with the hem of top and rocking back and forth of her the balls of her feet. "Thank you..." she muttered again. "Though, it is kinda h-hard to see sometimes with my h-hair going in my eyes," she lifted her hair. She tried her best to keep the conversation going to avoid the awkwardness of her hug.

"Here, take this," Keishin's hand entered her field of view. He was holding his headband. Her eyebrow raised; she looked up. Her eyes widened, and cheeks grew pink when she saw his hair fall forward. She tried her best not to show her genuine reaction. But he looked _good_. She had never seen him with his hair down before, and suddenly she found herself flustered.

"A-are you s-sure? Won't y-you be a-able to s-see?" Yuki asked, just before scolding herself for stuttering so much.

"Mine's nowhere near as long as yours," he chuckled, pushing his hand towards her again. "Take it."

Yuki muttered another 'thank you' before taking it from his hand. She tried not to look at him, her stomach filling with butterflies every time she did. He was frustratingly good looking, and if she was not careful, it would throw her off her game. She pulled the headband over her forehead and towards the back of her head, pulling her fringe along with it. And for the first time in years, Yuki had no hair to hide behind. Keishin found himself lost for words for a second. This was his first time actually seeing her face, and he too found himself feeling a little speechless. Her brown eyes had a little twinkle that he never realised before, and her cheekbones structure her face just right.

**_preet preet_ **

The referee blew the whistle, pulling them both from their daze. It was time for the match to restart.

"Hey," Keishin said, grabbing her wrist gently as she tried to walk away. She turned to face him, concerned filling her eyes, worried she had done something wrong. But his smile eased her nerves. "Let's show them how the little crow can fly," Yuki smirked and gave a stern nod.

The game was back on, and only a few minutes in Yuki had already called for the ball. The oppositions made sure to keep an eye on her that time, and she was faced with a triple block. However, she smiled when she saw it; she was always one who liked a challenge. She knew she would not be able to hit through the block, so instead, she hit the ball at the blockers fingertips, sending the ball high into the air and off the court, earning her team a point.

Keishin once again watched her in awe, and as she started to land, he could see her face clearly - the hairband ridding the hair from her face - and he recognised the smile that was plastered on her face. It matched the one he saw on the youtube video during the Nationals Final. He was almost starstruck. Something pinged in his heart, and his stomach acted strange as he watched his friends compliment her.

"Good spike," he told her, his hand out for a high five.

"Good toss," she replied, slapping it.

The match continued with the Neighbourhood Association taking their lead even further. Yuki had become a massive pain in the ass for the other team. No matter what the play was, there was always someone on the other team keeping an eye on her, because even if they looked away for a second, they would lose track of her, and next thing they knew she would be high in the air sending a ball down onto them. What made it harder was she was left-handed, and receiving a ball was even more difficult.

If no one said anything, people would think Yuki had played with Keishin in high school like many of the other players on the team. The two had immaculate teamwork and always seemed to know what the other was going to do. If the two played together more, and Yuki grew more as a player, the two would become a deadly duo.

The score was 24 - 12 to the Neighbour Association team, and it was Yuki's turn to serve. Everyone's eyes were on her as she grabbed the ball and walked to the end of the court. She had not served yet, and everyone was waiting to see what she would do. The oppositions all nervously waited in their ready positions. She turned on the spot, her eyes on the volleyball that she held between both hands. She balanced it on her right hand as she stuck her arm out. She glanced to Keishin, he gave a small nod, knowing what she had in mind. She sucked in a quick breath. Her eyes stayed on the ball as she launched it into the air before starting her run.

**One - step**

_"It's not the spiking that makes me love being a wing spiker-"_

**two - step**

_"it's the jump just before it-"_

**three - step**

_"-it feels like I'm flying!"_

**_FLY!_ **

Yuki launched into the air; she heard the sound of crows in her ears as it seemed she floated for a few seconds. The spotlight shone brightly in the back left corner of the court. Her left arm shot forward, the slapping sound echoing through the hall, and before anyone could react, the ball hit the other side of the court, winning the match for her team. Everyone praised her, but she simply looked down at her stinging red hand. She looked up and caught Keishin's eyes. Both smirked.

Yuki Nishinoya, the girl who led the crows to victory, the girl who could fly, had finally woken up.


	18. Surprise

Yuki has been grinning from ear to ear all night and the following morning. After the match had finished, the team went out to get something to eat to celebrate the win, and the team did everything they could to make sure she felt included. She spent most of the evening bright red as compliments about her were thrown left, right and centre. Hanging out with the Karasuno team was nice but being with the Neighbourhood Association team was even better. They were all around her age, or a few years older, and it felt like she was with a group of friends.

Most of the evening, she stole glances at Keishin, and she found herself liking him even more. It was nice seeing him with his friends, more relaxed, and she could tell many of them had been friends for a long time. But the main reason she could not stop smiling was because Keishin and the rest of the team said if she wanted, she could be part of the Neighbourhood Association Team. Yuki - of course - said yes, and all she could think about since was playing volleyball with them again.

Yuki stared down at the drawing she had just finished. It was the final part of the series of pictures she had started when she first joined as the assistant coach. It was an open cage, a crow flying off into the distance. She nibbled on her bottom lip as she looked to the corner of her desk. She reached over and grabbed a hairband, she stared at herself in the mirror before pulling it over her forehead and pulling her fringe back. She pulled her shoulders back and held her head high. She would not hide anymore.

"Morning," Yuki sang as she made her way into the kitchen, grabbing herself some food and joining her family at the table.

"Morning..." Her parents answered, both raising an eyebrow at her. They had never seen her so chirpy before.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" her mother asked. Yuki shrugged her shoulders as she started to put food into her mouth. The last thing Yuki wanted was her mother finding out she was playing volleyball again. "I know that look," Yuki's mother smirked. "What's his name? Is it the guy that came by the other week?" Yuki's eyes widened in horror, and her cheeks flared up.

"W-w-what, no! H-he is just a f-friend!" Yuki tried to answer, but if it was not her red face giving away her lie, it was her stuttering, which was worse than usual.

"Are you talking about Coach Ukai?" Yú said - his mouth full of food.

"YÚ!"

"Ah, Ukai. Does he have a first name? I'm sure you know it." Her mother teased, and Yuki wished a black hole would swallow her up. Weren't families meant to be against their daughter getting a boyfriend, not teasing her about it?

"You should see them in training mum, always laug-"

"YÚ!" Yuki threw her hand over his mouth, to try and stop her little brother from saying anything that could embarrass her even further, but it seemed the family enjoyed teasing her.

"What it's true! He makes you happy!" Yú defended as he was able to remove her hand from his mouth. Yuki wanted to argue back, but he was right, Keishin did make her happy, and if someone as clueless as Yú could see that then she wondered how obvious it truly was. "I always thought that when you got a boyfriend, I would be mad or overprotective because I did not want you getting hurt. But seeing you smile like you do when you're with Coach Ukai, it makes me happy; I miss seeing you smile like that." Yuki had to stop herself from sobbing and wrapping her arms around her little brother. Not many people saw that side of Yú, the sweet sensitive side, it rarely came out unless he truly cared, and Yuki was lucky she saw that side of him often.

"He is not m-my boyfriend," Yuki stated, her hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "But he does m-make me happy. He's a r-really good friend, and he has h-helped me a lot."

"Well, boyfriend or not, I hope we meet him soon," her father started, walking over to her, "I want to thank the person who allowed me to see my daughter’s beautiful face again," he kissed the top of her head before leaving the kitchen. Yuki looked to her fingers as she tried not to get emotional.

The morning passed, and soon Yuki was once again about to be alone in the house, her father was the last one to leave.

"Father," Yuki spoke just before he could open the front door.

"Yes, sweetie?"

"Do you r-remember that restaurant we went to for us g-getting to n-nationals? The one where we h-had my 18th birthday? With the guy t-that you knew?"

"You mean Izakaya?" he answered.

"Y-yeah that one! Could I ask a-a favour?"

Yuki looked at the time on her phone, Keishin should not be at the store. She walked in, the doors opening, and she was glad to see his mother sitting at the counter. Yuki had met her a few times, and she was one of the most beautiful people, though sometimes her hugs would make Yuki beg for air.

"Yuki!" Keishin mum squealed when seeing her enter. She stood up and ran around the counter and wrapped her arms around Yuki tightly.

"Hello."

"I thought you were working later with Keishin!"

"Uh - that i-is what I've come t-to talk about..."

\--

Yuki took the scenic route to practise that day, it was extremely sunny and hot, but the weathercast said that night and the next few days would be rainy, and so she did not want to waste any time she had with the sun. She wiped the sweat off her forehead as she entered the gym. The team was already inside and ready to go. She clapped her hands together as her eyes scanned the gym, looking to see if anyone needed her help.

Yachi - a small blonde first year - was struggling in the corner of the hall with many water bottles. She had joined the Karasuno team a few weeks ago, she was a nervous girl, but she had a big heart, and Yuki had a sweet spot for her. She knew what it was like not to be able to control your nerves, and she wanted to try to help the younger girl as best as she could.

**_SMASH_ **

Yachi dropped the water bottles everywhere, and Yuki was quick to run by her side. "Are you o-okay?" she asked, picking up the remaining few water bottles that littered the floor. Yachi's head shot up. Her eyes were wide. She nodded quickly, her cheeks red. Yuki chuckled, as the two walked to the other side of the hall and placed the water bottles on the floor. Yuki wanted to say something more, but before she could, Yachi had run off to do something else.

"Afternoon," Keishin greeted as he stood beside her.

"Afternoon," she replied, glancing up to him for a moment before looking back at the Karasuno team. Even though she was not looking at him, she could feel him staring at her.

"You've got your hair up..." he said, it was more of a statement than a question. "It looks good." She felt her cheeks instantly heat up. "You should have it like that more." Yuki did not reply, as Keishin walked away to start the session with the team.

It had become normal for Keishin and Yuki to go between coaching. Sometimes they would work together helping the team, sometimes they would split off so Yuki could focus on the basics with the first years, and other times the two would alternate a session ensuring they covered all bases. Most of the time though, the team would be drenched in sweat during a drill while Keishin and Yuki talked and laughed, but once one of the team was starting to slack both were quick to tell them off. There would be no slacking on their watch.

In no time, the session ended, and the two found themselves alone in the gym again. It became the norm; even the team had become accustomed to it, not bothering to question why they were not leaving the gym at the same time as them.

"Ready?" Keishin asked.

"Actually, I have a different plan for t-today." Yuki answered. Keishin raised an eyebrow. "It's a surprise. You've j-just got to trust me..." she felt nervous under his stare.

"Uh - okay."

"And we don't have t-to go to the store to w-work...I spoke to your mum earlier. She got people t-to cover."

"Wait; what? I don't understand," he chuckled nervously.

"Just trust me." She gave him a lopsided smile. She was excited about her plan, but she could not stop her nerves taking over.

"Uh - okay, is what I'm wearing okay?"

"You may want to put on something a l-little more - uh - fancy. Jeans and a jumper will b-be fine. I've got clothes in m-my bag; I can change at yours." Yuki's eyes widened at how forward she was acting. "I-I-I mean if you w-want you d-don't hav-"

"That's fine by me," he smiled and picked up his bag. "Do I get any clues to where we're going?" he asked, looking over his shoulder as he started to walk to the gym doors.

"Nope!"

The car journey was like it always was between them. Both relaxed and music loud for them to sing along to any songs they knew. Keishin was curious as to what Yuki had planned, but it was obvious she was not going to give any clues, so he simply did not bother questioning anything.

Yuki got changed in the spare bedroom when they arrived at his place. Putting on a simple t-shirt and jeans, but ensuring to grab a jumper knowing it would rain later. As she waited for him in the living room, she could not help her curiosity getting the better of her. There was a photo on a side stand, a group of boys dressed in the Karasuno uniform. Her head tilted to the side as she stared at them. She quickly spotted Takinoue and Shimada; they practically looked the same to what they did when she met them yesterday. However, Yuki's eyebrows furrowed together as she could not seem to find the one person she was looking for.

"That's me right there." Yuki jumped at Keishin's sudden presence, making him chuckle. He stood beside her, his finger pointing to a teenager in the photo who had a buzz cut.

"REALLY?" Yuki's eyes widened. "You look so d-different..."

"You think?"

"Yeah one hundred per cent, please n-never get rid of your hair."

"Oh, so you like the hair?" Yuki's cheeks flared up red. She placed down the photo and turned to face him.

"Actually," she started, her hands raised to his head, "I prefer it l-like this," she pushed back the hairband off his head, allowing his hair to fall down the front of his face. "Looks good." She grinned, mimicking his words from earlier that day. She was unsure where the sudden confidence came from, but she did like his hair down like that.

" So now you are the one with the headband instead of me ?" he chuckled.

"Seems so." Yuki could not help but look him up and down. He was in a red jumper and loose black jeans.

"Is my outfit, okay?" Yuki nodded, scared that if she talked a small squeal would escape her lips with how attractive he found him at that moment in time.

**_Beep. Beep._ **

She was glad her phone went off; the tension between them was becoming too much for her to handle.

"We've got to go!" She tells him, before grabbing her bag and walking off.

"I'm assuming you know the way!"

The car journey was rather hectic. It turned out Yuki had a terrible sense of direction and got the pair lost multiple times, though Keishin found it amusing seeing her so confused. He had insisted he could help if he knew where they were going, but Yuki told him to 'shut up' as she tried her best to work google maps. After over half an hour of driving around town lost, they finally arrived where they needed to be. Keishin parked the car outside a restaurant, confused.

"One time, you told me about t-this place you went to with your friends." Yuki started, seeing the confusion on his face. "You said t-they had the best dumplings around, but you could never remember the name o-of the restaurant. When you described how it looked, I had a m-memory come back. It turns out my dad is friends with th-the owner, and I had a celebration there once. This is that place." Keishin's eyes widened. "It's hard to get a t-table, so I asked my dad for a f-favour."

"What - how - huh-" Keishin was speechless.

"Come on, we are already late!"

The two walked to the entrance of the building, Keishin still unable to produce full sentences, and Yuki took the lead in talking to the waiter. She apologised for being late, but the waiter said it did not matter as she was considered a 'special guest'. The two got their own booth, and instantly they started scouring the menu, and before the waiter could leave, Keishin had ordered some dumplings.

"You didn't have to do this, you know," Keishin told her as the waiter took away their menus.

"No, I did. See it a-as a thank you. You've helped me so much the last few months and, I just t-thought you would like a little surprise. After everything y-you've done to help me, it felt right to do something back." She avoided his eyes as the nerves kicked in again, but from the corner of her eyes she could see the smile on his face.

"Well, thank you. No one has ever really gone out of their way like this for me." It was silent for a few moments before he started talking again, the tension building up, like it did just before they left his house. "I need to tell you something."

"Okay..."

"Well - I - uh," suddenly a bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, and he twiddled his fingers, "it's something I've wanted to say for a while - but I just - uh -" Yuki's eyebrows started to raise as she watched him struggle to find the right words. "I rea-"

"HEY, ITS COACH UKAI AND NISHINOYA!" Hinata's voice entered both their ears like an unwanted buzzing bee flying around. The tension between them dissipated and Yuki placed her forehead on the table, annoyed. "Nishinoya, look, your sister is here!"

"YUKI!" Her little brother yelled, ensuring to catch the attention of those that didn't hear Hinata's previous yell.

"Oh great, they're coming over..." Keishin mumbled. Yuki lightly banged her head on the table. How the yell did those idiots get into a restaurant like that?

"Hey," Yuki forced a smile as Tanaka, Yú, Kageyama and Hinata stood beside their table. "What are you doing h-here?" she tried her best not to show her annoyance.

"Dad said he booked a table for us as an award for studying so hard!" Yú beamed. Yuki's eyes widened. She assumed once her father learned she would be going with Keishin to the restaurant, she got Yú to go as well to keep an eye on her.

"I'm going to kill him," she muttered to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing." She forced a smile. "You guys got a t-table?"

"Can't we just join you?" He asked. Both Yuki and Keishin looked to each other, neither liked the idea, but they did not have it in them to deny the four boys, especially Hinata who was grinning from ear to ear.

So, for the rest of the evening, the perfect night Yuki had set up for Keishin was ruined by four teenage boys. Who were far too loud, but in the end, she had a great time. It was not the perfect night she imagined, but Keishin and her joined in on the boys’ jokes, even teasing the four of them and were able to have their own inside jokes. At one point though, Hinata started asking questions as to why the two were there in the first place which led both Keishin and Yuki with red faces, but the four boys were clueless, and the matter was dropped.

When the night came to an end, Kageyama, Hinata and Tanaka all walked home, while Keishin gave Yú and Yuki a lift home. It started to rain as they pulled up to the Nishinoya household.

"See you tomorrow, coach!" Yú said before running through the rain and into the house, leaving Kieshin and Yuki alone in the car. It was silent. Yuki was waiting for Keishin to say something. She was holding back to burst out that she liked him. She thought about the many romantic movies she had watched, and how multiple times the main characters would kiss in the car when the guy would drop the girl home. But every time Yuki wanted to tell Keishin how she felt, she remembered when he told his mother that he simply saw Yuki as a friend, and nothing more. Her heart slightly stung every time she thought about it, but she shook away the thought.

"Have a good night, Keishin. See you t-tommorow." She gave a friendly smile before opening the door.

"Goodnight..." he mumbled. He watched her run to her door, and give a final wave before shutting it. He sighed heavily and placed his head on the steering wheel. "Why can't I tell her how I really feel..."


	19. Turn of Events

That night, after dinner, Yuki found herself on her laptop looking through any and everything that was volleyball. She was over the moon to be on the Neighbourhood Association Team, but she could not help but wonder what other teams were around her area. If she trained adequately, she wondered if she could play on a real team, and make playing volleyball her job, just like she dreamed about when she was a kid. Yuki knew chances were low for her to play at the highest level of volleyball, but being a semi-pro could be a good start to try to kick off her career. Yuki was too focused and did not hear the door to her room open.

"What is that?" Yuki jumped as her mum spoke, she was quick to shut down the page she was looking at.

"N-nothing."

"Were you looking at volleyball teams?"

"What? Pfft, no...." Yuki chuckled awkwardly as her mother walked over to her.

"You can't play, you know that." Saza's voice was stern.

Yuki looked away from her mother as her eyes caught the poster that was on the wall. It was the one from the newspaper, she had put it up the night before. She would not crumble. Volleyball made her happy, and surely her mother would understand that. Even she had seen the change within Yuki, and it was not just because of Keishin, it was because of volleyball.

"But it makes me h-happy..."

Saza stepped back, her hand on her heart. "You've played?"

Yuki swallowed nervously. If she wanted to play volleyball again, she needed h to tell her mother. "Yes, an-"

"What..." Saza started to choke up, her hand covering the bottom of her face.

"Mum, p-please, it makes me happy."

"NO!" Yuki jumped as the sudden rise in her mother's voice. "You're not allowed to play!"

"B-but Mum you've seen how h-happy I-I've been, it's because of o-of volleyball. Do you n-not want me to be h-happy?" Saza shook her head, her eyes shut as she tried to process her daughter's words.

"If you get hit in the head or hurt yourself like last time you could die..." Yuki could see why her mother was so against her playing volleyball, but that did not mean she agreed.

"So you would r-rather me be unhappy?"

"I WOULD RATHER YOU BE ALIVE, YUKI!"

"What about w-what I want? I don't want to live if I can't p-play! It makes me feel a-alive. I have not been t-this happy in yea-!"

"YOU CANNOT PLAY VOLLEYBALL!"

Yuki stood up, getting irritated with her mother, who was not even trying to see her point of view. "I'm not a child, you can not t-tell me what to do!"

"YOU LIVE IN MY HOUSE, YOU FOLLOW MY RULES. I FORBID YOU TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL!"

"That's not fair!"

"YOU KNOW WHAT'S NOT FAIR YUKI? TO SEE MY DAUGHTER LAID IN HOSPITAL FOR OVER A YEAR, NOT KNOWING WHETHER SHE WOULD SURVIVE OR NOT! AND THEN FOR HER TO WAKE UP TO REALISE I LOST HER ANYWAY!"

Yuki's eyes widened, her jaw dropped as tears welled up in her eyes. Pain struck her heart as she looked to the floor. She bit on her bottom lip as she tried to hold back tears. Her mother had never said anything like that to her before. She had no words as her hands clenched into a fist. Without another word, Yuki picked up her jumper from the bed and pushed past her mother and out of the bedroom. She could hear her mother calling her name, but she ignored her and left the house, walking out into the pouring rain.

\--

Keishin had just finished in the shower when he heard a knock on his door. His eyebrows scrunched together when he looked at the time. Who would be knocking at his door at 11pm? Maybe it was Yúsuke, it would not be the first time he had shown up drunk at his house because he lost his keys.

"I'm coming, I'm coming..." he mumbled and trudged to the door. "I swear Yúsuke, I'm gonna get you some spare keys b- Yuki?" Yuki stood at the front of his door, head down, cheeks red from the cold and drenched from the rain.

"I d-didn't know where else to g-go..." she mumbled.

He invited her in and told her to take off her outer layers as he went to find her some dry clothes. She had not said anything else as she waited in the living room for him, her wet clothes in her hands. She continued wiping her cheeks as the tears started to slow down. Her mother's words repeated in her head, and each time she felt a piece of her heart get chipped away. There were only two places she could think of going when she left the house, Keishin's house or her grandfather’s, but her grandfather was too far to travel at such a late time. She could not help but feel like she was intruding Keishin's home, but she did not have much of a choice.

"I'm sorry, these are the smallest things I have," Keishin said as he walked back into the room, holding a jumper and tracksuit pants. "you can get changed in the spare room," Yuki nodded, and gave a small smile.

"Thank you."

"No worries. I'll put these out to dry," he took the wet clothes from her hands, and she made her way to the spare bedroom. It was plain but neat. A few pictures hung on the walls, but it was apparent it was merely an extra bedroom. She got changed and looked into the mirror. The clothes hung off her, she was only small, and the clothes were practically eating her up. The side of her lip turned up a little, she was in Keishin's clothes, and that made her feel a bit giddy inside. She took a deep breath, they smelled like him, and that made her relax.

"I think they look better on you than they do me," Keishin chuckled as she made her way back into the living. He was sitting on the sofa, the TV turned on and two cups in front of him on a small table. She gave him a small smile and sat beside him. "Here, hopefully, it'll warm you up." She took it gladly, a slight smile on her lips as the warm liquid entered her body.

"You want to talk about it?" Keishin asked after a moment of silence. Yuki froze in place, her lips on the edge of the cup. She slowly pulled it away from her mouth, staring down at the liquid that was inside. She looked at him.

"Can we t-talk about it tomorrow?"

"No worries." He tried his best to keep a friendly smile plastered on his face, he wanted to comfort her the best he could, but he was never very good at it. He did not like seeing her so sad. Her cheeks stained with tears, and her eyes filled with sorrow broke his heart. "Anything you want to watch?" Yuki shook her head as she stared at the screen, sipping on her drink.

Keishin flicked through the channels as the two sat in silence, all he wanted was to see her smile. So he decided to put on a comedy movie, and thankfully, Yuki did smile a few times. At first, she was not paying much attention, her mind fuzzy, but when she paid a little attention to the movie, she found herself laughing a few times with him. She knew he did it on purpose to make her feel better, and she could not help but think how sweet he was. She finished her drink and sat back, slightly closer to him than before.

Half an hour into the movie, Yuki started to feel her eyes get heavy, and she did not realise she placed her head on his shoulder. At first, he grew stiff at the sudden touch, but when he looked down at her, he relaxed. She was sleeping and breathing softly, her cheek on his shoulder squished, and he could not help but admire her. He pulled the arm she was leaning on up so her head fell on his chest and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He continued watching the film, though he found himself multiple times glancing down to her, unable to stop the smile on his face.

The film came to an end, and Yuki was still fast asleep. He turned off the TV, careful to not wake her up, before picking her up bridal style and taking her to the guest bedroom. He placed her down and put the covers over her. She squirmed slightly but did not wake up. Before he left the room to go asleep himself, he moved a piece of her from her face, admiring how peaceful she looked when she was sleeping. Even her red cheeks and puffy eyes had faded. He sighed softly before leaning down and mumbling, "goodnight, little crow," before giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead. He watched her for one more moment before leaving the room. He had to tell her how he really felt soon.

\--

Yuki did not bother moving straight away when she woke up the next morning. Her mother's words once again replayed in her head. She did not know what to do. She loved and respected her mother, but volleyball was the one thing that genuinely made Yuki happy. It was the one thing that made her not feel useless anymore, and playing it again reminded her of the Yuki she used to be, the one she wanted to be like again. She sighed softly and sat up, she had only just realised she was on the bed in the guest bedroom. The last thing she remembered was watching the TV downstairs with Keishin. Her cheeks grew red at the thought that Keishin had taken her up. She was embarrassed at the idea but also thought it was sweet. She looked to her left to see her clothes on a chair with a note on it.

It read:

_ Here are your clothes, they are dry. You can leave mine on the bed. Come downstairs when you're ready! _

She smiled softly at the message before getting changed and making her way downstairs.

"Good morning," he smiled when she entered the kitchen. He was standing by the cooker, making food. "I hope you're hungry." Her stomach grumbled loudly before she could answer, making him chuckle."Did you have a good sleep?" She took a seat at the table.

"Yeah, thank you for letting me s-stay over."

"Of course, you're welcome anytime." Both smiled, but then it grew quiet. He gave her a plate of food, she thanked him, but then nothing else. She wanted to ignore what happened the night before, but the stinging pain in her heart made her feel unhappy. No matter what, she could not force herself to try and hold a conversation with Keishin. She could feel him glancing over to her a few times, she knew he was wondering what had happened. So when she finished her food, she put down her utensils and started to explain.

"I need to let you know something before I-I tell you what happened last night," she started, taking Keishin by surprise. He nodded to show she had his attention. "For the first year after t-the incident, I was in a coma. That's the part of my story that no one r-really knows. Everyone just thought I was in the hospital for a little bit, b-but really I was on the verge of d-dying. That is why I never really left the h-house once I woke up. My parents were really o-over protective, and knowing I nearly died scared me." She took a deep breath as she tried her best to hold back her tears. "Me and my mother had an a-argument, it ended with her basically saying it would not have m-mattered if I died, because when I woke up, I-I was a completely different person..."

"Why would she say that?"

She met his gaze. "Because I told her I w-wanted to play volleyball again."

"And she doesn't want you to..." He stated. It was quiet again as he processed her words. "The chances of an incident like what happened to you that day happening again are very slim. She must know that normally the worse common injury a player can get is sprains or pulling a muscle."

Yuki looked to her twiddling fingers. "The thing is, with me, because o-of the accident, If I get hit in t-the head I could end up back in h-hospital or die-"

"What?" Keishin interrupted, unsure his ears heard her correctly.

"It is a very low chance, they just being o-over dramatic-"

"Is that what the doctors told you when you woke up?"

"Yeah but-"

"But nothing! Yuki, how could you not tell me that before? What would’ve happened if you got hit? What happens if you end up back in the hospital? What happens if you die?" He ran his hand through his hair. "That would be on me Yuki! I would have to live with that-"

"Keishin it's fine, I'm fine, look, s-see." she stood up and pointed to herself with a large grin, but he shook his head.

"No, it's not fine. I could never live with myself if something happened."

"Nothing is g-going to happen." She walked over to him and placed her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "I'll just be extra careful when we play." Keishin met her eyes, his frown unchanging. He placed his hand on top of hers. She smiled gently, but it dropped when he grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his face, his head slightly shaking from side to side.

"No."

"No?" Her eyebrows pulled together as she watched him argue with himself.

"We won't be playing together again." Her eyes widened at his words.

"W-w-what..." her voice was barely above a whisper.

"If something happened-"

"Keishin, please! Nothing will happen. Y-you'll be by my side, I'll be careful, I won't receive the ball, w-whatever you want I'll do it, b-but please don't-"

"No, it's too dangerous. I can't risk it." A single tear ran down the side of her face. He placed his hand on her cheek and wiped it with his thumb. "I'm only doing this because I care about you." Yuki pushed his hand off her face as she walked away from him.

"All you care about is y-yourself. I c-can't play because you would n-not be able to live with yourself if something h-happened. But what about me? If you truly c-cared, then you would let me play. B-because that's what will make  _ me  _ h-happy-"

"Hey, that's not fair, I'm not just doing it for me. Do you really want to end up in the hospital again? Stuck in your room, scared to leave? Isn't coaching the team good enough?" He took a step forward, trying to close the gap between them, but she took another away from him.

Yuki looked away from him as more tears started to fall. "I thought out of a-anyone, you would have my back no m-matter what."

"Yuki," he tried to grab her hand as she started to walk away, "Yuki, stop, listen to me!" but she simply snatched it from his grip, "YUKI, PLEASE!" She left his house with no other word. Keishin took a deep breath, his hands running through his hair as he paced his living room. "Shit!" He yelled, banging his hands on the kitchen counter.


	20. Unexpected

Yuki sat emotionless in the guest room of her grandfather's house. She had run out of tears long ago, now just staring at a white wall, her mind stuck between reality and daydream. Keishin was supposed to have her back, meant to take her side no matter what, and she could not help but feel like her heart had just been ripped out. Even her mother’s words had not hurt her as much as this. None he said was particularly hurtful, it was just that she felt betrayed,

**_Beep. Beep. Beep._ **

Yuki glanced over to her phone, which lit up. The screen was filled with messages and missed calls from Keishin. She looked back to the blank wall, her eyes catching the clock on the wall. She had pondered the idea of not going to training, the last person she wanted to see was Keishin, but she made a promise to get Karasuno back to Nationals, and she could not do that sitting at her granddad's.

"We're here." Yuki's granddad said as the car came to a stop. She took a deep breath and looked at all the kids exiting the school.

"Thanks, Grandad," Yuki said as she opened the car door. "I'll see you, t-tonight." She stuck her hand into her pockets as she made her way inside, ignoring the constant vibration of her phone. She was a few minutes late, she had quickly made a stop at the girl's gym first. The idea of catching everyone's attention when she entered the boy's gym made her feel sick, but she tried to push it away as she placed her hand on the gym door, swallowing the lump in her throat before going inside.

"Yuki!" Yú was the first to see her. "I've been trying to phone you all day, where have you been?" he asked.

"Sorry, phone d-died..." she chuckled awkwardly. Yú raised an eyebrow.

"But the phone rang, if it died, it wouldn-"

"Yuki you're here," Keishin breathed, his eyes wide. He did not think she would show up. He walked over to her as the team grabbed some volleyballs. "Yuki look, I need you to-"

"First years, you're coming w-with me to the girl's gym. I've got some d-different drills for you guys today!" Yuki cut Keishin off, not even giving him a second glance as she spoke loudly. His eyebrows furrowed together.

"Yuki, please you don't have to do that."

She looked at him. "Will you let me play with t-the Neighbourhood Association Team?"

"What? No, but-"

"But nothing," she started to walk away from him, but he stepped forward and grabbed her hand.

"Yuki listen to me, please." She looked to him, her eyes showing no emotion.

"They're waiting for you," she told him, nodding towards the second and third years. "I suggest you g-go to them before they lose their patience. Coach." Yuki pulled her hand away and walked towards the gym doors, the first years following her. Keishin watched her leave, his shoulders slumping forward.

"Coach, what do you want us to do?" Keishin forced himself to pull his eyes away from her; his heart crushed as he made his way to the team.

"Coach Nishinoya, why are we not training with everyone else?" Hinata asked as they made their way through the school.

"Because you are going to be doing drills, d-different from theirs." Her answer was blunt, but Hinata did not realise.

"We always do different drills in the beginning th-"

"There's no p-p-particular reason Hinata, we just are!" Yuki did mean to snap at him, and instantly she apologised when she saw him flinch to her words. "I-I just want to have one on one's with you guys b-before Tokyo this weekend."

There were no more questions as they entered the hall. Yuki greeted her old coach and the rest of the girl's team while the boys warmed up. Yuki had not realised it herself, but she was far stricter with the boys than usual. Her commands were blunt and not once did she give out a compliment to any of the boys like she usually would. Not once did she stop to laugh or smile, it was drill after drill, and she made sure no one was making any mistakes.

It was the last drill of the session. Yuki stood at the top of the step ladder with a ball in hand. The first years lined up at the other side of the court ready for her next task. They were exhausted, even Hinata, she was pushing them all to their limits.

"Come on boys, l-last drill then you can go back for the practice m-match! Don't forget everything I taught you today!" They nodded. Hinata was the first up. Yuki spiked the ball, Hinata got behind it, but his receive was weak, the ball flying off in the wrong direction.

"Tch, next!"

The boy's arms were all red from continuously receiving Yuki's spikes, and all complaining at the stinging feeling that came with it each time they tried to receive the ball. Yuki was growing frustrated with them. Even after all the drills she had been giving them, they all still sucked at receiving. She grew angrier with each spike, frustrated as to why they were falling. What had she done wrong? Has she coached them incorrectly?

"AHHHH!" Yuki's eyes widened. She had gone into autopilot mode and not focused on her power.

Hinata laid on the floor, hands over his face after her spike had just smacked him in his face. Everyone raced over to him, including herself.

"Hinata! Are you okay?" she asked. He sat up slowly, his face red and body slightly swaying.

"That was harder than Coach Ukai's..." he muttered. Yuki sighed a relief, realising he was in fact okay.

"I'm sorry kid, why don't y-you guys head back to the main gym. The practice m-match will start soon." They all nodded and headed off and out of the gym.

"Hey, Nishinoya, we got space for one more, you want in?" Akari - the coach of the female volleyball team - called out. Yuki looked at her. Akari was the only other person who knew about Yuki practising volleyball again.

Yuki thought deeply - she had already helped the boys team with training; she did not need to watch them play another practice match. She could take time for herself.

"Sure," Yuki answered.

The girl's team had met Yuki a few times before that day, so they were not so starstruck by her anymore, but this was the first time she would be playing with them, and a few of them were bouncing around with excitement.

"I hope you guys a-are ready to carry me to a w-win!" Yuki told them, earning a few chuckles. Keishin had disappeared from her mind as she focused on playing. A smile on her face - the first one since that morning. She didn't need him; she needed volleyball. "NICE SERVE!" Yuki shouted encouraging words as one of the girls started the game. Yuki was put as a spiker, but she constantly reminded herself not to try too hard, one of her strong spikes could hurt someone.

Yuki watched as the ball rallied back and forth between the two sides. She had stayed quiet, not wanting to interfere too much as, in the end, the match was training for their team. The ball had landed into the setter's hands, Yuki knew many eyes were on her, and it would be rude not to give a show. She said nothing as she started to run up towards the net; she knew the setter had seen her. Yuki kept her eyes on the ball as she flew into the air, she could hear the gasp from everyone below her before quickly spiking the ball to the floor, no one coming close to receiving it. Her feet touched the floor, and as she met with praise from all the girls. Yuki caught Akari's eyes, she smirked and winked at her.

"THAT WAS AMAZINGGG!" One of the girls said, making Yuki chuckle.

"T-thank you."

As everyone got back into their places, Yuki's smile dropped, she looked to her hand. Something felt off. It was red, and it stung from her hit, but she was unsatisfied. She closed her hand into a fist as her eyes glanced around as she thought deeply. She could not understand what was wrong. Her jump and spike were perfect, yet she felt so empty.

"Yuki!" She was pulled from her daze when another ball sent her way - she had not even realised the match had started again - but Yuki was quick to react, jumping up, spiking and earning her team another point. It seemed everyone was happy with her spikes, except herself, and she could not help but feel frustrated.

The match continued, and nothing changed. No matter what Yuki did, she felt lost and confused. Why, after everything, would she now not feel any satisfaction from spiking? It is all she had wanted for months, and now here she was playing volleyball but wishing she wasn't.

"Yuki, it's your time to serve!"

She stood at the end of the court—ball in hand. If anything made her feel something, it would be a jump serve. She held her right arm out. She closed her eyes for a moment as she focused on her breathing. She launched the ball into the air as her eyes shot open.

One-step

Two-step

Three-step

JUMP!

Yuki shot up as the ball started to make its way back down. She quickly glanced to the other side of the court, a spotlight shining to where she wanted to aim. Her left arm launched forward, her palm connecting with the ball. Her feet touched the floor. Her heart sank. Silence rang out. The ball hit the net and fell onto her side of the court. Her eyes widened, and her jaw was slightly ajar. She messed it up. She had failed her iconic jump serve.

"Unlucky Yuki, you'll get it next time." One of the girls said as everyone started to rotate. Yuki blinked dumbly at the net. Wasn't she the one who was supposed to help out the girls, not the other way round?

The match came to an end, and Yuki ended up feeling even worse than she did at the beginning of the day. Not only had she lost Keishin, but now her love for volleyball. She could not understand what was happening and why playing had not made her feel better. No matter what she did during the match, her heart still felt empty. She thanked the team for letting her play with them, though they were honoured to have played with Yuki before heading back to the boy's gym.

When she arrived, the team had just finished packing away the equipment. She tried her best not to bring any attention to herself, but with a team that had so many loudmouths, it was an impossible task.

"YUKI! Where did you go? You just missed a really good practise match!" Yú ran over to her.

"Yeah!" Hinata joined the conversation. "The other team could not keep up with mine and Kageyama's quicks! So I was like  _ whoosh  _ all around the court, and  _ bang  _ every time I jumped!"

"Good job Hinata," she smiled and ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, but my rolling thunders stopped every spike and block-" before Yuki knew the two boys were both telling her about their fantastic performance during their game. She chuckled awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do as she had already praised both of them multiple times. She glanced away from them, catching Keishin's eyes who was standing at the other side of the hall, walking towards her.

"I'll see you guys next practise, b-but I've got to go," she turned and fast-walked towards the exit without hearing their replies.

"YUKI!" However, she could hear Keishin's voice call after her. "Yuki, wait, please!" He ran to catch up with her, grabbing her arm and stopping her in her tracks just outside the gym doors.

"What do you want?"

"I-I-" he was surprised she had stopped to talk to him. "I hate this, I don't want you to be mad at me."

"I'm not mad; I'm u-upset. I trusted you, and y-you betrayed me."

"I only said what I said cause I care, do you think I wanted to upset you? I can't lose you..." Yuki did not look at him, his hand touched her cheek, her eyes brimmed with tears. After a moment of silence, she shook her head and snatched her arm from his grasp.

"But you already did. I've g-got to go; my grandad is most l-likey waiting for me..."

Keishin watched her walk away with wide eyes; he did not know what to do; his brain racked through any ideas on how to stop her from walking away from him. "Come stay with me!" He suddenly burst out, she stopped walking and looked at him, her eyebrow raised. "Your grandad's house is far away from here, it'll take you ages, and your grandad will have to drop you and pick you up each day, won't it be a bit much for him?" Keishin was breathless, his heart pounding as he pulled at straws to try not let her leave. The corner of his lip twitched upwards as he watched her ponder his suggestion. If she stayed with him, he could fix the situation between them; he could make things right between them again.

"Have a goodnight, Ukai." His heart dropped at her words. She turned and walked away. His shoulders slumped forward, and his eyes glossed over.

Yuki wiped away the tears that rolled down her cheeks as she entered her grandfather's car.

"How did training go, sweetie?"

He started up the car, Yuki's lip wobbled as she tried to hold back her tears, but after a moment, she let out a loud sob. Her chin fell to her chest. "Not great grandad.”


	21. New Faces

"Dad?" Yuki entered her grandfather's house after a silent journey. She was ready to go to her bed and cry herself to sleep. So you could imagine her surprise when she saw her father sitting at the kitchen table. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Just because you had an argument with your mother that doesn't mean you had it with me too." He said with a sad smile.

Yuki looked to the ground. "So you k-know..."

"Of course I do. Not only did I hear the whole thing, but your mother has been cleaning non-stop." Yuki remembered to when she was younger, and when Yuki's grandmother died, her mum started cleaning non-stop, it was her coping mechanism, her way to deal with pain.

"I'm guessing y-you're here to convince me not to play volleyball again, b-b-but I-"

"No sweetheart," he walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. "I'm here to tell you I support you, no matter your decisions." Yuki's eyes widened, she pulled away from her father to look at him.

"Really?"

"Of course." He placed his hands on her cheeks. "You're my little girl. I want you to be happy."

"Even if it's d-dangerous?"

Her father smiled sadly, his thumb rubbing her cheek. He looked away for a moment, as if he was in deep thought, before looking back to her. "I always knew you would go back to volleyball. I was waiting for it. No smile would ever come close to the ones I saw when you were playing volleyball. Even when you weren't playing, just talking about it, your face would light up."

"Does Mum know y-you're supporting me?"

"Yes...and let's just say if it wasn't my house. I would have been kicked out by now."

"I-I don't want to be the reason you to get a divorce! What about-"

"We're not getting a divorce." Her father chuckled. "She is struggling with the whole idea of it, but we always agreed that our children's happiness would be prioritised over everything else. She'll come around, eventually."

The two sat in the kitchen together talking for a little while longer. Yuki's father was always more supportive of her two parents. He was the one who would drive her to volleyball games, be in the stands with Yú and help her with her fitness and training. Her mother, on the other hand. Did not see volleyball as a viable career, not at first anyway, but she did not fight it much as she saw how happy and how good Yuki was at it.

"Does Yú know what's happened?" Yuki asked her father as they finished eating their dinner.

"I told him that grandad needed your help again. I think it would be best for him to hear the truth from you." Yuki nodded. She was wondering how her little brother would take the news that they no longer would be living together. During her and her father's conversation, while eating, it was made clear that her mother did not want Yuki home if she wanted to pursue volleyball seriously.

"Okay, I've got to get going. I'll see you soon okay?" Her father stood and gave Yuki a final hug. "I brought some things from home here, I've already put them in your bedroom." He gave her a last kiss on the head before leaving.

Yuki's grandfather had already headed to bed. She sat alone at the kitchen table, wondering if she was doing the right thing. She was risking everything for volleyball. At first, she was one hundred per cent sure on the idea. But after playing with the girl's team, and not feeling happy after playing, was she making a mistake? She shook the thought from her mind and made her way upstairs.

It had only just gone past ten o'clock, and her phone finally stopped buzzing, Keishin finally giving up on contacting her. She unlocked her phone and instantly cleared all his messages and missed phone calls, a pain pinged in her heart as she did so, but she ignored it before typing.

**To Yu:**

_We need to talk. Can we meet up after school at The Dragon and Eel? Just us two._

Yuki locked her phone and put it in her pocket as she entered her room which was filled with her possessions. Her father had practically brought her whole room over. She sighed softly and wondered if that meant he knew she would be staying at her granddad's for a while - that her mother would not allow her home for a long time. She sighed heavily and sat onto her bed, her head in her hands.

Was she making a mistake?

She was happy for the first time in years, but now she felt lost again.

Would all of it be worth it in the end?

Or was she falling down a pit of despair again?

All she wanted to do at that moment was call Keishin. He was the one she could talk to, about anything and everything. He was there for her; he made her laugh and smile; he made her _happy_.

Yuki grabbed her phone again. She stared down at his name in her phonebook. Her finger hovering over the ring icon.

_"Let's focus on the inter-highs, and after that, I'll do everything I can to help you. After all, I am a setter, who else is best to help you spike?" Keishin gave a cheeky grin, and for the first time, Yuki met his eyes, they were wide and full of wonder._

_"R-really?"_

_"Really. How are you going to be a little crow if you can't fly?"_

Yuki squeezed her eyes shut as she tried not to cry again.

_"I think to start off we need for you to fall in love with volleyball again," Keihsin stated. "How did you fall in love with it in the first place?"_

_"W-when my dad t-took me to w-watch Japan vs C-canada as a-a k-kid," Yuki answered after a moment of thinking._

_"Exactly," he smiled as he pulled two pieces of paper from his pocket. "So what a better way for you to fall in love with volleyball again than to watch a volleyball match!"_

She took a shaky breath and rested her head on the back wall.

_"Get up!" Keishin said bluntly. Yuki faced him; her eyebrows scrunched together. "You've got another thing coming if you think I'm letting you take the easy way out of this. We knew this would not be easy-"_

_"Yeah but-"_

_"Yeah but nothing." His bluntness caught Yuki off guard. He walked over and stood in front of her. "I don't care if this takes weeks or months. I'm not stopping until you jump and hit the best spike of your life." A slight blush crept to her cheeks. "I'm in it with you for the long run." He stuck his hand out for her to take. "Now get up, and show me how high you can jump."_

Her eyes opened. The usual blank white wall was blurry as tears formed.

_"Hey," Keishin said, grabbing her wrist gently as she tried to walk away. She turned to face him, concern filling her eyes, worried she had done something wrong. But his smile eased her nerves. "Let's show them how the little crow can fly," Yuki smirked and gave a stern nod._

Her tears fell. Clearing her vision and her usual empty wall was actually not empty. Her poster hung on the wall. The ones from the newspaper. The one where her large black wings made her seem like she was really flying.

"The girl that can fly..." she mumbled, reading the text at the bottom.

_"No, it's not fine. I could never live with myself if something happened." Keishin said._

_"Nothing is g-going to happen." Yuki walked over to him and placed her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "I'll just be extra careful when we play." He met her eyes, his frown unchanging. He placed his hand on top of hers. She smiled gently, but it dropped when he grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his face, his head slightly shaking from side to side._

_"No."_

_"No?" Her eyebrows pulled together as she watched him argue with himself._

_"We won't be playing together again." Her eyes widened at his words._

Her breathing steadied, and her tears stopped. She swallowed and closed the phonebook app before locking her phone.

"I will fly again..."

-

The next morning, Yú messaged Yuki back, telling her he was happy to meet up and talk. Though he was concerned why they had to talk, worried that she had caught him out on something wrong he had done and asked what the topic of conversation would be about, but she simply told him she would meet him at the Cafe - choosing to ignore his many questions over text.

"HEY, YUKI!" Yú was sure to grab everyone's attention as he entered the building. Yuki had arrived not long before him, already sitting at a table with a drink. She shook her head as she saw him say bye to a girl she had never seen before. Her curiosity sparked.

"Who was that?" Was the first thing Yuki said when Yú stook a seat next to her.

"Oh that's Amaya Misako, she's been tutoring Tanaka and me the last few weeks. She's Takeda niece." He grinned.

"How's that g-going? The tutoring?"

"Good. We took our exams today, and I think I've done enough for Toyko! Are you excited to go?"

The two siblings talked back and forth about volleyball and other stuff that they did not realise the time. It was ten minutes until the Cafe closed, and Yuki had still not told Yú about the _situation_. So she took a deep breath, and decided there was no need to beat around the bush, she had to be honest with him.

"Look, the reason I wanted to t-talk to you is that you need to know t-that I will be staying at Grandad's again." She started.

"AGAIN?! Is he ill? Is he o-"

"He's fine, Yú!" She interrupted him quickly, not wanting him to blabber on. "It's just - um - You see t-the thing is, I -" Yú eyebrows knitted together. The excitement from his eyes that were present a few seconds ago had disappeared and were now filled with worry. She sighed softly. "He's just lonely." She lied. Telling him about the argument between her and their mother would weigh heavy on his heart, and she did not want him distracted with Toyko and the Spring Interhigh Qualifiers coming up.

"Oh okay. That makes sense. Maybe after Toyko, I can come round, and we can play games all together like we use to! Maybe mum and dad can come too-"

"Lets just s-stay focused on Toyko for now, okay?"

Yú agreed, and the two thanked the staff before leaving the building. The two walked in the same direction for the majority of the way before having to split off. But just before Yuki could say goodbye, Yú made an odd comment.

"I hope Coach Ukai feels better before Toyko."

"I didn't know he w-was unwell..."

"I'm not sure, just yesterday he seemed different."

"Different?"

"Yeah, he was stricter than normal. Reminded me of the old Coach Ukai. And I swear he didn't smile once. I know he doesn't like when I and Tanaka mess around but, I don't know. He was just on our asses about everything." Yuki nodded slowly, understanding what he meant because she too was like that with the first years.

"I'm sure he's fine, j-just an off day. Anyway. Have a goodnight Yú!"

-

Yuki was the last to arrive at Karasuno High School that Saturday morning. It was time for the weekend trip to Toyko - which part of her was dreading. The last few days she practically blocked Keishin from her life. He had given up on calling and texting her as it was obvious she would not answer, and their conversation was simply about volleyball and the Karasuno boys. Whenever he tried to take the conversation to another topic, she would end it and walk away.

Both of them were hurting, and the team were getting the worse end of it. Keishin and Yuki's style of training had flipped. Their usual laid back ways were now strict, and no one was allowed slack. There was no laughter or relaxing. It was work hard or get out of the gym. The team noticed these changes, but no one understood why.

"Alright, everyone is here, let's get going!" Takeda said.

Everyone got onto the coach, and the boys were practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. Especially Tanaka and Yú. Yuki could not imagine the chaos if Hinata and Kageyama were also on the van, but they, unlike all the others in the team, failed their exams and were stuck doing a supplementary exam in the morning, but would join the team later in the day.

"Morning," Keishin said as the two got into the front seats on the vehicle.

"Morning," she replied, not bothering to look at him.

"How are you fee-" His voice was cut off when Yuki placed her earphones in and turned her music to the max. He sighed heavily and leaned back in his seat - already feeling defeated. Yuki wanted more than anything to speak to him; she missed him more than words could explain. She found herself most nights crying, but she would stay strong when she was around him.

He betrayed her. She would not forget that.

-

The school they would be staying and training at for the weekend were far bigger than Karasuno. It was daunting as they approached it. She could not help but squirm in her seat slightly as the coach came to a stop. The boys pilling out immediately, happy to stretch their legs after the journey.

"Hey, you okay?" Keishin pulled her from her trance. She simply nodded and exited the vehicle. She wanted to stick with the team but found herself in desperate need for the toilet. She wanted to ask someone, but everyone was preoccupied with talking with other players, and Yuki did not want to interrupt, so, she wandered off, in the hope, she would magcially find it.

Yuki had been wandering the halls of the school for sometime before finally bumping into someone.

"S-sorry, I was wondering if y-you could tell me where the b-bathroom is?" She asked him, finally giving up on looking for it herself. He did not reply but stared at her.

"You don't know who I am, do you?" he asked. Yuki's eyes widened.

"Sorry, sir, I-I don't." From his grey hair and wrinkled face, it was apparent he was one of the coaches.

"I'm Yasufumi Nekomata. I use to be good friends with Old Coach Ukai. He told me a lot about you, Yuki Nishinoya." Her breath got caught in her throat as goosebumps covered her body. She was sure she felt multiple crows fly past her, she stood up straight and gave a proud smile.

"Good things, I-I hope."

Nekomata laughed. "It was only ever good things. Sometimes I think he told me more about you than he did his own team." She felt a ping of pride hit her chest. "I'm assuming you are helping Coach Ukai with coaching the Karasuno boys?" Yuki nodded. Nekomata smirked. "The first time we had a match against them you were not there, I'm excited to see how they play now with you in the mix. I'm sure they are a lot stronger now." He started to walk away, and Yuki could not help but smile. "The staff toilet is up the stairs to your right." He finished before turning the corner. Yuki chuckled to herself. Thank god he remembered to tell her where it was otherwise, she would have forgotten to ask again.

Yuki stared in the mirror. The next few weeks were important for Karasuno. There would be a lot of learning and growth, and Yuki had to ensure she could do everything she could to learn from the teams they will be practising against. She needed to be ready to absorb every piece of information she saw and convert it into teaching methods. She pulled off her hair band, before putting it back on, ensuring no hair strand could cover her face. Even if she could not stand being near Keishin, she would force herself to work with him if it meant helping Karasuno.

Yuki exited the bathroom. She looked up and down the empty hallway. Now how did she get back to the gym?

"HEY! HEY! HEY!" She jumped at the sudden voice. She looked to her left to see two boys walking towards her. The one who yelled had round golden-coloured eyes and spiky white-grey hair with black streaks. He was practically bouncing with energy, and his smile was broad and friendly. The boy walking beside him though was quite the opposite, he had messy black hair and grey-blue eyes, his expression stoic. "Are you a manager for one of the teams?" The grey hair boy asked.

Yuki shook her head. "I'm the a-assistant coach for Karasuno." She returned his friendly smile, feeling comfortable by his presence. "I'm Yuki Nishinoya, but just c-call me Yuki."

"Yuki Nishinoya? Where have I heard that name before?" The grey boy thought deeply, and her eyes widened. She did not want a repeat with what happened at the inter-highs.

"Don't think too hard, you'll hurt yourself." The boy with the stoic expression quipped. Yuki held a chuckle as the grey-haired boy grew angry at his friend.

"Anyway, Im Kōtarō Bokuto, and this is Keiji Akaashi. We are players for Fukurōdani Academy." The grey hair boy - Bokuto - said proudly, crossing his arms with a smirk.

Now it was Yuki's turn to try and remember where she had heard his name before."You're one o-of the top five spikers in t-the country, right?" she asked. Bokuto's smile somehow grew bigger, chuffed with himself, though Akaashi quickly shut him down.

"Didn't make it into top three though." Once again, Yuki had to hold down a laugh as Bokuto yelled at his friend again.

"A-are you heading to the gym?" She did not want to break up their moment, but she was sure matches would start soon, and she needed to be there to watch.

"Yeah, we are, want us to show you the way?" Bokuto asked. Yuki smiled and nodded.

"Yes, please."

The three walked together through the school. Yuki did not say much but enjoyed the company of the two boys. They made her laugh, the dynamic between them was interesting, and she was curious how it would be on the court when they were playing. All she knew was that she was going to keep a close eye on them; she was sure she was going to learn a lot of them.

Before she knew it, the boys opened the door to the gym, and Yuki found herself in awe with how big it was. Multiple teams were warming up, and she found herself grinning from ear to ear. She was excited to see what they were all capable of. She was excited to learn and see how Karasuno compared to them.

"See you around, Yuki! Make sure to watch me when I'm playing!" Bokuto shouted as him, and Akaashi ran off to their team. Yuki huffed a laugh and made her way over to Keishin. He had been wondering where she had been but decided not to say anything. She stood beside him, arms crossed as she watched Karasuno warm up.

"I think Karasuno is about to go to a whole new level." She smirked.


	22. Drunk

Yuki found herself standing as Karasuno prepared for their first match. It was against Fukurodani.

"Not going to be an e-easy start..." Yuki muttered as she watched the pair she met earlier - Bokuto and Akaashi - make their way onto the court. Bokuto spotted Yuki and raised his arm, waving around esthetically as to say 'hi'. Yuki breathed a laugh and returned the gesture, though her wave was far less animated, and more a simple hand raise to show she had acknowledged him.

"You know him?" Keishin - who was sat beside her - asked.

"We met about five m-minutes ago. Karasuno is about to have a hell of a-a time trying to stop him. He's Kōtarō Bokuto." Yuki looked to Keishin. "Remember w-when we were looking at the top aces in the c-county?" Keishin raised an eyebrow, before thinking for a moment. Then his eyes widened.

"He's in the top five aces in the country!" Yuki nodded.

"Yep..." she looked back to the court, "the only good t-thing to take away from this match is t-that it is not a bad thing we are missing Hinata and Kageyama, t-they make zero difference when it comes to our defence. This is a good match up t-to see how Yú and Daichi hold up against Bokuto's spikes. If we come up against S-Shiratorizawa, we can have some sort of idea of how our defence w-will hold up against Ushijima's spikes and serves." Keishin simply listened as she spoke. Even if the two had been talking about Volleyball the last few days, their conversations would always be short-lived because of Yuki's blunt answers. It was the first time she had bothered actually to talk to him in a while, and he was going to try to make sure it stayed that way.

"How do you think they will hold up? Our defence that is?" he asked her.

"I don't know..."

The match between Fukurodani was rather tragic. The score ended 16 - 25 to Fukurodani and Yuki could see why Bokuto was a top 5 ace. Though she was pleasantly surprised by his ability as a captain, he made many calls that got the team points, and he had a very good brain for Volleyball.

"I don't think it's our defence that s-sucked, just as a whole, our team is weaker..." Yuki said to Keishin as the Karasuno boys started their diving laps. Keishin nodded. His eyes peeked over her shoulder to see her notebook opened, filled with notes.

"That's a lot of notes."

"Chances are we are going to lose e-every match today and tomorrow, and part of me excited for that." Keishin raised an eyebrow, confused. "Karasuno is level 1 compared to everyone else's level 100. We have a-alot to do, and that's what my notes are. I didn't just watch the Fukurodani m-match, I watched everyone's, and I will continue to do so for the next two days. We know everything about Karasuno, so while we are here, I w-want to learn everything about the other teams. Not so we can win against them next time we play, but t-to take all the best things about these different teams and bring it to Karasuno. We need to make our team stronger in every aspect, but we also need to make sure it works for our team. No point getting Hinata to do a j-jump serve when he can barley serve normally, but someone like Ashai?" Yuki looked to Keishin, a grin on her face. "We've got a lot to do, but if we d-do it, right?"

"We'll be a pretty strong team." Keishin finished.

\--

Yuki's notes were becoming messier and messier as her brain was working faster than her handwriting could keep up. Karausno had just lost again, and she felt terrible for the boys who had to do another diving lap, she had lost count how many times they had to do it by then.

"Hopefully Kageyama and Hinata w-will be here soon! I need to get notes on them as well!" Yuki had not sat down once, her excitement getting the better of her, and now all she wanted to was to see how other teams reacted to the crazy quick attack. Just as she finished her sentence, the doors to the gym opened. Revealing a young woman who had blonde short hair, and in a black tank top and red pants. Yuki raised an eyebrow, confused for a moment until she saw Hinata and Kageyama standing behind her.

Everyone's attention turned to them. Yuki grin turned into a devilish smirk, and Keishin could not help but notice the change in her demeanour.

"Time to turn it up to level 5..." she laughed to herself.

The boys got themselves ready for another match as the blonde girl from before - Saeko, Tanaka's sister, Yuki remembered Yú telling her about her - walked over to Yuki.

"I was wondering if we were ever going to meet," Saeko said. Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Tanaka has told me a lot about you; I couldn't believe you were back at Karasuno." Yuki did not know what to say. "You don't remember me, do you?" Yuki's eyes widened.

"We knew each other? W-w-were you on the t-team?" the last thing Yuki wanted was to forget a teammate.

"No, no," Saeko laughed. "I was not one for sports-"

"So we w-were in the same c-class?"

"No," Saeko laughed again, confusing Yuki even more. "I was in the year below. We weren't friends as such, but you helped get out of trouble a few times, and we hung out here and there, but nothing, special."

It was not uncommon for Yuki Nishinoya to stay back after training to practise her jump serves. She needed them to be her most reliable asset, so if it came to it, her team could count on her. She was about to do her fiftieth serve when suddenly the doors to the gym opened. Her head snapped to the right to see a girl run inside the gym and sprint for the equipment cupboard. Yuki's head tilted to the side, and before she could say anything, the Vice Principal burst the doors open, making her jump.

"Vice Principal," Yuki quickly bowed, showing her respect.

"DID A GIRL RUN IN HERE? SHORT BLONDE HAIR?" He was breathless like he had been running for a few minutes. Yuki argued with herself. She knew she had seen the girl he was looking for.

"No Vice Principal, I have not, sorry."

"IF YOU SEE HER, COME AND TELL ME!" Was the last words the man said before running off.

Yuki laughed and looked to the cupboard, which was slightly open. "You can come out; he's gone."

The girl slowly opened the door, checking if the Vice Principal truly was gone. "Damn, that was a close one," the blonde girl laughed. "Thanks for not ratting me out. I owe you one."

"You can pay it up right now. Toss the ball up for me." Yuki answered, passing a volleyball to her.

"Huh - no I didn't mean-" Yuki placed her hand on her hip, not flinching at the other girl rambling. After a few minutes of trying her best to come up with an excuse, she gave up, her shoulders slumping forward. "Fine, I'll help. But I'm not very good."

"It's fine. Worse the better really. If I can adapt to anyone setting, then even if something goes wrong during a match, I can fix it myself mid-air."

The blonde girl did not know too much about Volleyball, but she watched the boy team practise a few times and knew the general gist of the sport.

"The names Tanaka."

"Nishinoya."

preet preet

The match was starting. Yuki pulled out her phone from my pocket.

"I-I don't remember much, but I would like to hang out," Yuki pushed her phone towards Saeko, "there are only a few m-more matches for the day. Maybe we could hang out after?"

"Yeah, of course, need to have a drink after the long drive." Saeko placed her number into Yuki's phone.

"Awesome, I'll m-message you when the game is finished."

Yuki watched as Saeko left the gym, happy to have someone different to talk to. She loved the Karasuno boys, but having someone her age and a girl would be nice.

She watched the match with eager eyes. Finally, with Hinata and Kageyama playing, she could get a real feel with how Karasuno compared to the other teams in the gym, and she loved seeing people's reaction when they did their freak quick attack. Finally, Karasuno was seen as a bit of a challenge, but even though Karasuno won the match, Yuki was not so happy.

"They nearly stopped t-the freak quick at the end..." she mumbled as the two teams bowed to each other. The attack was strong, but if a team were good, such as the ones they were playing against, they would start to stop the freak quick, and Karasuno would go back to being a mediocre team. Something needed to change, but what? She was unsure.

Yuki sent a message to Saeko when the last match finished; she said to the boys that she would see them tomorrow as she quickly made her way to the room she was staying in and got changed into something more suitable.

Yuki jumped into Saeko's car and instantly regretted it. Saeko's driving nearly gave Yuki a heart attack. Most of the journey was filled with her screams and Saeko laughing.

"You're the one that taught me to drive," Saeko laughed.

"WHAT?!" Yuki eyes widened as she held on to anything and everything, wishing nothing more for the journey to be over.

When the car finally came to a stop, Yuki sat breathless for a moment as she thanked everything and everyone for allowing her to survive such a journey. She could not believe Hinata and Kageyama had to experience that from Miyagi.

"How the h-hell did you ever get a driving license?"

"Again, because of you. Anyway, let's go. I'm starving!"

Yuki followed her inside the restaurant. She was thankful Saeko was so talkative. Otherwise, she worried their conversations would have been stale and awkward. But Saeko was free-spirited - just like her brother - and Yuki could see why the two used to be friends of a sort. Saeko had convived Yuki to drink, at first Yuki was wary, but after a moment of thinking she said, "Fuck it. What's the worse that could happen?"

Yuki unsurprisingly got drunk very quickly, and her personality started to match Saekos. The two laughed loudly as Saeko told stories about when they were younger. Apparently, Saeko was a little bit of a trouble maker, but as the Vice Principal respected Yuki, he would listen to her when she told him Saeko done nothing wrong, but Saeko would always have to repay Yuki by helping her train. The two never hung out outside of school, but would spend a lot of time together during training, as Saeko would watch practise and matches and then help Yuki out once everyone else had left. It was indeed a special friendship, one that involved a lot of laughter and mischief.

"I think it's time that we get you back, don't you need to be up in the morning?" Saeko said, looking at the time.

"Pfft, no, why would I need to be up?" Yuki answered, hiccuping just after. It seemed when she was drunk, her stutter disappeared.

"Oh shit, you may be drunker than I thought." Saeko laughed at Yuki, who started laughing uncontrollably for no reason.

"Come here, come here," Yuki whispered, leaning forward, Saeko copied her action. "I need to pee." Yuki stared at Saeko seriously for a moment before bursting out into laughter again.

"Okay, let's get you back before the coach and your brother kills me."

"The Coach?" Yuki scratched her head with her mouth open as she thought. "OH COACH UKAI!"

"Shhh, you'll get us kicked out!" Saeko laughed but tried to keep control of Yuki.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"That you need to pee?"

"Yes, but that's not what I want to say...I fancy Coach Ukai." Yuki giggled like a child. Saeko shook her head and decided it was best to get her home. She had sobered up a while ago, she drank a lot and was good with alcohol, knowing her limits. She stuck Yuki in the front seat and started up the car.

"NO! NO! NO! NOT THIS AGAIN! THE DRIVING OF HELL!" Yuki screamed once she realised what was happening around her. Saeko once again laughed but did not answer Yuki as she started driving. The whole journey back was filled with laughter and Yuki's random comments.

"Okay, stay here. I'm going to book a room for myself quickly," Saeko told Yuki as she sat her down on a sofa before walking off. She started to talk to the person at the desk, but when she got her room, she turned around to see Yuki had disappeared.

Yuki stumbled down the corridors - trying to be quiet but failing - as she tried to her find her room. She was mumbling things to herself as she read the numbers on the doors.

"Yuki?"

"HELLO!" She screamed, surprising Keishin who was standing at the end of the corridor. "Oh no, I'm to be quite, hello," she whispered, grinning.

"Are you drunk?" he asked, walking towards her.

"No." But he knew from her slurred words she was lying.

"How much have you had to drink?"

"Not much, just like, this much," she placed one hand under his chin, and the other ontop of his hair, "just as much as your cute head." Keishin cheeks grew red as she started to giggle. "You're even cuter when your cheeks go all red like that."

"We need to get you to bed," he told her, trying his best not to get flustered by his comments. She continued giggling, not paying attention to his words. She started to walk again, but lost her footing, falling to the floor. Keishin wrapped an arm around her waist, ensuring she did not hit the floor. "Come on, pisshead." He held her weight as he started to walk towards her room. She barely helped him as she continuously stumbled, making him hold her tighter each time.

"You're so strong," she poked at his arms.

"Mhm. Have you got your keycard?"

Yuki hiccupped but nodded. He let go of her so she could search her bag, but immediately, her legs gave way, and she fell back, her back hitting the wall. Keishin was quick to hold her waist, pinning it against the wall so she could stand. Yuki laughed again, her head also leaning on the wall. She looked him up and down and bit down on her lip.

"Isn't this the part in the movie where the guy kisses the girl?" Keishin's ears grew pink.

"Uh - y-you need to go to bed." He was trying - but ultimately failing - to keep his cool.

"That's boring!"

"Then maybe you should not have drunk so much," Keishin finally laughed. Even in a drunken state, he found her cute. "Come on, keycard." Yuki childishly stuck her tongue out at him but did as he asked, placing the keycard in his open hand. He opened the door and guided her inside and sat her onto her bed.

Neither said much else, and Keishin knelt and took off her shoes, throwing them to the side. Multiple times he glanced up at her, wondering why she suddenly grew so quiet. Her head was tilted to the side, staring blankly at the wall. Though the next time he looked up, he was staring directly at him. He was going to ask if she was okay, slightly worried she was about to hurl all over him, but instead, her voice was soft as she spoke, taking him by surprise.

"I miss you."

"You're saying it like I left. I'm here for you, always."

Yuki shook her head slightly as if she was trying to process his words. "My sober self is too stubborn," she breathed a laugh as a tear fell down her cheek. "When you said you didn't support me in Volleyball anymore, I-I felt like the whole world had turned against me. Like a cat cornered, I either had to hide away or fight back. And I think I'm fighting back b-but-" Yuki burst into tears before she could finish her sentence. Keishin instantly wrapped his arms around her and brought her into a close hug. He said nothing, mainly because he did not know what to say. "I thought that pushing you away and staying with volleyball would make me happy, but it hasn't, and I don't understand why." She sobbed into his shoulder, drenching his shirt. "All I want is to have you and volleyball, and I-I realise I can't...I'm so lost."

He held her close as he thought deeply about her words. Nothing he could do or say now would help. With how drunk she was, he would be surprised if she remembered anything the next day. He needed to prioritise her needs at that moment and focus on fixing their relationship another day.

"Hey, let's get you to bed, okay? We'll discuss this another time."

"We won't because sober me is still hoping that fighting against you will fix all the problems. That magically everything will be fixed without comforting you." Keishin nodded, understanding her words, but talking about it now would fix nothing either.

"Where are your pyjamas? In your suitcase?" Yuki nodded. "Can I look through to get them?" She nodded. Slowly he let go of her, laying her down onto the bed and grabbing her suitcase. "These okay?" She nodded to the clothes he grabbed out. She stood, reaching to grab the clothes, but once again stumbled, falling forward, making him react quickly to catch her. "Are you going to be able to get changed?" She nodded again. "Okay, but I'll be here, so shout if you need anything."

Keishin grabbed a bottle of water for her from the mini fridge and sat on the bed on his phone as he waited for her to get changed. Quite a few times he would ask if she was okay when it grew quiet, worried she had passed out. But after around 5 minutes, she opened the door again, and she was in her pyjamas. His eyes widened. He had not realised how little the clothes would cover her. She was in a small black vest and high shorts that was closer to being more like knickers than shorts. He averted his eyes, not wanting to be disrespectful, though a few times he could not help but glance over for a second before forcing himself to look away.

"Make sure to drink some water; it will help with the headache in the morning." He stood, hands in his pockets, and tried to walk out of the door.

"Keishin," he stopped at her voice. "Can you stay with me the night, please?" He looked up at the ceiling, questioning if this was a way of God testing him. "We both know I probably won't remember any of this tomorrow, and knowing my sober self; I'll probably go back to pushing you away." He tried to relax before agreeing to her statement, turning around and walking to the bed. She smiled softly as he lifted the covers - ensuring not the look at her - and laid next to her. Immediately, she laid into his chest, and he could not help but notice how well she fit. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and placed his head on the pillows. His hands rubbed up and down her back lightly.

"You make me happy," her voice was muffled against his chest, but he heard her loud and clear.

"You make me happy too." He looked down and met her eyes. Her mouth was slightly open, her lips only inches from his. He realised she was slowly pushing herself up to close the gap between them, but he turned his head, allowing her lips to press against his cheek. He wished nothing more but for the tingling feeling that he felt on his cheek to be on his lips, but he would not want to kiss her when she was so drunk, no matter how much he wanted too.

Yuki returned her head onto his chest. "Goodnight Keishin." He smiled and watched her fall asleep. He had missed her, more than he would like to admit. But for them to go back to the way they were, he needed to make some changes. He wanted nothing more than for her to be happy, and there was only one way of achieving that.

"Goodnight, baby girl." He kissed the top of her head and drifted to sleep.


	23. Hungover

Yuki stirred in her bed as she tried to find a position that would stop the glaring sunlight from hitting her eyes, she wanted to get back to sleep to stop her head from pounding. But after several minutes, she gave up, opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She groaned loudly, her head feeling like it was on the verge of exploding. She closed them again as her hands started to massage her forehead.

The last she remembered of the night before was starting to drink with Saeko, but after that, she could not remember a single thing. She assumed Saeko helped bring Yuki to her room when they finished. She groaned again as another wave of pain struck her brain. Her head fell to the side, and she saw the nightstand next to her. On top sat a glass of water, a small white tablet and a piece of paper. She sat up, and it read:

_Take this. It'll help with the headache._

Yuki mentally thanked Saeko for looking out for her before gulping down the drink and tablet. She laid back on the bed for a moment, trying her best to recall any memories after she started drinking, but she was drawing a blank. She rolled over and grabbed her phone before falling out of the bed.

14:55. The time was 14:55. And matches started at 9:00.

Suddenly, Yuki's headache disappeared as she ran around her room, looking for her work clothes. She was late. Very late. She brushed her hair and teeth and went to the toilet all at the same time. She balanced on one foot as she tried to put her pants on while also trying to pack away her suitcase, but only to end up falling to the floor again. She sprinted out of her room, her coat barley on, hopping down the hall as she tried to do up her laces.

Why had no one gone to wake her up? Did they know what happened the night before? Did Saeko tell everyone she was a drunken mess?

"YUKI!" Yú once again announced her presence to the whole hall even though she tried her best to sneak in unnoticed. Most turned to look at her; she cowered under their stares as she made her way to the Karasuno boys. But she did give a small wave to Bokuto who waved enthusiastically, and she was sure if she had not waved back, he would have called her name, and she did not want that to happen again.

"How are you feeling?" Yú asked as she got close to them. "Coach Ukai said you were not feeling very well." Yuki's eyes widened. Ukai had said that? How did he know? Suddenly fear struck her heart. She sneaked a glance to him - who seemed unfazed by her presence - before answering her brother.

"Yeah, I'm f-feeling better," she forced a smile.

The match between Karasuno and Fukurodani continued, and Yuki stood beside Keishin, feeling nervous, wandering if her blank memories from the night before were important.

"How did you know?" Yuki mumbled.

"I saw Saeko this morning. She told me everything. I assumed you would have a hangover and thought it would be best to let you sleep. I remember my first hangover." Yuki's cheeks grew red. At least now she could relax knowing he had not seen her in a drunken state.

"Thank you..." Even though the two were not close anymore, he still looked out for her.

Yuki watched the match between the two teams. Her head was still hurting but not as bad as when she woke up, though she was struggling to concentrate. Each hit on the Volleyball echoed the halls and seemed far louder than it usually was. She wished she could have covered her ears as they slowly started ringing. She had her notepad out, but she had written nothing in it yet.

After around 10 minutes into the game, Yuki realised a certain small, loud, redhead was missing from the court. She looked to her left to see him on the bench. Her face screwed into confusion.

"Why is H-Hinata not playing?" She asked Keishin.

"It's a bit of a long story, but his quick attacks were getting stopped by Nekoma's middle blocker," Keishin nodded to a tall, grey-haired boy who had just landed a deadly spike on the other court. "And Hinata said he wants to start opening his eyes during the quick attack. The kid has a point; teams at higher levels will start to stop the freak attack but right now is not the time to start trying it."

Yuki was left even more confused. If anything it is good that Hinata finally realised he needs to evolve to become a stronger player, it is no like Karausno are going to beat Fukurodani anyway, why not try something new? "I still don't u-understand why you pulled him o-out."

Keishin sighed softly. "During the Nekoma match, I don't really understand what happened, Hinata seemed to lose track of the game and focused on the ball, he went for it even though it was Ashai's ball. The two collided." Yuki's eyes widened. To someone who did not play or understand Volleyball, the incident did not sound like such a big deal, but in Volleyball, colliding, especially mid-air could be extremely dangerous. "It's the last match of the day anyway. But I needed to pull Hinata out; he needs to chill out, I could not have him end up in a contact play again and get hurt."

Yuki nodded, understanding his point. Even she would have made the same call. No matter how much Hinata wanted to play, they could not let him if it meant he could get hurt.

Her eyes widened.

That situation sounded awfully similar.

Keishin did not want her to play Volleyball because she could get hurt.

But after a moment of thinking, she shook her head. The situation was not the same. She was an adult. Keishin was not her coach, but a friend.

The situation was not the same.

The match came to an end, Karasuno unsurprisingly losing. Yuki's head finally stop hurting, and she started to think straight, but it was useless as everything started to be packed away. She moved away from Keishin without another word and walked with Tanaka and Yú to the coach, but not before bumping into a tall spiky white-haired boy.

"Will you be coming next week, Yuki?" Bokuto asked, his eyes wide.

"Yes," she smiled. "I will."

"AWESOME! You can see more of how great I am!" Yuki gave a nervous chuckle.

"I'm sure I-I will Bokuto, have a good w-week." She waved goodbye and contuied her walk with the team, though she did not realise the death stares Tanaka and Yú were giving Bokuto.

The bus started to be packed up by the boys as Saeko walked over to Yuki.

"Good to see you're awake." She laughed. "How was the hangover this morning?"

"Shhhh," Yuki did not want the team knowing she was out drinking the night before, and that was the real reason for her lateness.

"HANGOVER?"

But it was too late, Yú heard and announced it to the rest of the team. Yuki mentally facepalmed.

"YOU WERE DRINKING LAST NIGHT?"

"Shut up!" She whispered yelled, covering his mouth with her hands. He tried talking more, but his words just came out muffled.

"Explains why you look like such a mess today," Kageyama commented causally - earning glares from many of the team - including herself.

"It was j-just a few drinks too many." She tried to brush off the situation, making sure it did not become a big deal.

"Sorry to break it to you Yuki, but you only had one drink." Everyone had heard Saeko's comment. Yuki's face dropped, and her cheeks grew red imminently as everyone fell into a pit of laughter. The third years held their laughs back, though it was obvious by their expression they too found it funny.

"Right, thanks for t-that one," Yuki told Saeko. "See you another t-time. Boys. You are packing the coach a-alone, I shall be w-waiting inside." Without another word, she jumped into the van's front seats and sighed loudly. Not her finest day.

All the boys had fallen asleep on the journey home from Toyko. Yuki mainly stared out the window as night started to fall. She had her earbuds in, but no music was playing, she was primarily daydreaming, but sometimes heard the conversations between Keishin and Takeda.

"Speaking of going home," Keishin started, "a rather annoying relative is coming home..." Yuki could not help but wonder who. She remembered before the two stopped talking, that he had said something about Old Coach Ukai being in the hospital. She assumed he was the one going home and was glad he was feeling better.

Night had fallen entirely when they got to Karasuno High School. The boys all yawned as they got off the van, she did not say much as she listened to Tadeka explain that there would be no training tomorrow due to inspections. She stayed by her brother when everyone started to separate and say their goodbyes.

"Asahi!" She called out before he could walk away with the rest of the third years. "Come here f-for a second p-please." Despite being confused, he did as she asked.

"Next training, y-you'll be with me," she told him, "I think we should finally g-get you doing a jump serve." Asahi grew nervous but nodded anyway. It was something he wanted to start anyway and to learn from someone as great as Yuki; he was honoured.

"I'll be there too so I can receive, make sure they are powerful!" Yú added, she agreed and went off. She looked to Keishin for a moment but did not see a need to say goodnight.

8th of July was the first-day of Asahi's specific training; she had a few weeks before the tournament, she was sure that was long enough for his serves to be strong enough to use.

But she may have thought wrong, she was trying her best to explain how someone did a jump serve, but Asahi was struggling even to get it over the net. It was not his fault. She knew he had the skill; it was her explaining.

"Try going back t-to a normal serve. Feel the hit, recognise how every part o-of your body moves. Then try not to t-think at all." Both Yú and Asahi raised an eyebrow to her, confused. "Do you think about e-everything you do when you serve? Or does it c-come natural?"

"Eh - a bit of both I guess?"

"Exactly, you n-need to try to make it, so it's as natural as possible. L-less thinking the better. When I served, I broke it d-down into five basic steps - literal steps." She moved away from him and picked up a ball. She took a deep breath. The best way to teach someone was also to show them how it was done.

She held out her right hand. She could see her younger brother's eyes widened from the other side of the court. Both boys knew what she was about to do, but both wandered, could she even do it anymore?

"I will say m-my steps out loud, so you u-understand what I mean." Both nodded. "Throw." The ball flew into the air. "One - step. Two-step. Three-step. JUMP!" The boys watched in awe as Yuki shot into the air, higher than they had ever seen Hinata jump. She said nothing else as the ball came back down, and she struck it hard, it flew past the net, and not even Yú Nishinoya was able to receive that ball.

Yuki smiled as she saw Keishin. His smile large. "YES, YUKI!" He cheered. "THAT WAS AN AMAZING SERVE!" She returned his smile, her own just as large, but after a moment it disappeared, and so did Keishin, his image being replaced by Yú cheering loudly from the other side of the court. He was talking about how excellent that service was. She breathed heavy, her eyes looking down to her red hand. She closed it slowly and looked back to Asahi - who was also praising her.

"See how none of m-my steps was the actual serve? T-That is because it comes n-naturally to me. That is w-what it needs to do for you t-too." Asahi nodded, finally understanding her point. "You keep p-practising, I'll b-be right back." Yuki left the hall without another word.

Despite night starting to fall, the weather outside was still warm. Sweat dripped down Yuki's face as she placed her back on the wall and leaned back. Her heart ached. She did a perfect jump serve and still felt like something was missing. She wanted to scream. She could not believe that she did everything to get Volleyball back for it to make her feel so empty still. She spent weeks and hours trying to jump, and now she could do it with ease, and she still felt disappointed.

"It's not fair," she cried to herself. "why?"

"Yuki, are you okay?" She jumped as the sudden voice beside her. She wiped away her tears and stood straight. It was Yú, standing beside her, concern written all over his face.

"Yeah, I'm fine, j-just needed some air." she forced a smile.

"What's wrong?" His voice broke. She could not look at him. Her heart broke, seeing her usually cheery brother now look like he had fallen into a pit of depression. "Is it because of him?"

"Him?"

"Coach Ukai. I knew something happened between the two of you. You both have been acting weird, you both seem, unhappy. I wanted to say something sooner, but Daichi said it was best if I stayed out of it."

How long had the team known something was wrong? Yuki assumed that the boys were so focused on playing that they would not notice the difference with her and Keishin.

"I've just seen you do a jump serve for the first time in four years Yuki. It was amazing, and you looked sad. Why? Please tell me. I'm your brother, I want to help, but I don't know how. Is it because of what happened with mum?"

Yuki's eyes widened. Yú also knew about that situation? He was far more observant then she gave him credit for.

"I started p-playing volleyball again." Yuki finally spoke. If anyone deserved to know what was happening, it was her brother. He and her father were always there for her, no matter what.

"That's awesome, Yuki!" She chuckled at his excitement, only if her mother and Keishin had that reaction.

"Mhm, that's w-what I thought. Kei- Ukai at first, was helping me. I played with h-him and his team. At first, I was s-struggling to jump and spike. But because of him, I-I finally did it. I was so happy. I started looking for teams on the computer. M-mum caught me. Told me I was not allowed to play Volleyball; we had a fight- a big fight. She b-bascially kicked me out of the house. Told me I was not her d-daughter anymore. That's why I'm with grandad." Yú listened intensely, and not once did he dare try to interrupt her story.

"I went to see Ukai. Out of anyone, I-I thought he would be the one to understand. But once I told him everything. That if I got hit by a volleyball, I could end up in h-hospital again. He said he would not s-support me anymore. And since the two of us have n-not really spoken. It hurt me. He betrayed me. But n-now when I try to play Volleyball, it feels like s-something is missing."

That was it. That was the story. It was silent for a moment. She expected Yú was taking it all in. Then something unexpected happened. Yú laughed. Let out a loud chuckle.

"W-why are you laughing?"

"I understand why you're upset with mum, but Coach Ukai didn't support you in Volleyball because he did not want you to get hurt. He cares about you Yuki, and so do I, I don't want you to get hurt either."

"So, you also d-don't want me to play volleyball anymore?"

"No, of course, I do. But it does not change the fact that it worries me that you could get hurt."

"But that's the difference b-between you and Coach Ukai; he's not going to support me in volleyball."

"Have you tried talking to him about the situation again?"

"No."

"Have you tried to talk about possible precautions you could take when playing to avoid being hurt?"

...

"No, b-but that's not the point Yú! He knows how happy Volleyball makes me, even if I could b-be hurt, he should have s-supported me anyway. If he truly cared, he would encourage me to play f-for the simple fact that it makes me happy!"

"And yet you have volleyball, and I have not seen you smile like you did when you were with Ukai." Her eyes widened. "Volleyball makes you happy, but so does he. I want nothing more than to see you smile Yuki. But you need both Ukai and Volleyball.

Yuki did not need to look at her brother to see the smug look on his face.

"You're stubborn like you've always been, but you're also stupid. He cares about you. I don't see an issue with that. You need to talk to him so you can fix this situation. I hate seeing both you and him being miserable, and it makes the training a lot harder." She knew he was right. She had known for a while now that she needed to fix the situation between her and Keishin, but she did not realise she needed someone to tell her to do it to realise that in fact, she was being stupid.

Yuki looked at him. She could not believe that her younger brother, who she thought was oblivious to everything apart from girls and Volleyball, was the one who was going to fix this situation for her. The one to tell her straight outright the truth and not beat around the bush.

"What if he doesn't a-agree to supporting me in volleyball no matter what I say?"

"He will. Trust me. He's probably still working at the store. Me and Asahi will carry on training."

"Wait, what? N-now? I'm not going n-"

"Go." He held his arm out and pointed towards the gate. "I will see you tomorrow, smiling, and I want you to show everyone your serve." Yuki could not say anything else as Yú ran inside. She rested her head on the back wall. She did not have a choice. She had to fix things with Keishin.

It was still warm when she arrived at the store. She could not deny she had missed being there even if she was working most of the time, just being with Keishin made her happy. She took a deep breath, and stepped forward, her hand on the door. She could not turn back now.


	24. Compromise

Keishin had spent the evening like he always did, sat back in his chair, cigarette in mouth and newspaper in hand. Tuesday was one of the quieter days of the week, and often he did not have to serve any customers after eight-thirty, so you could imagine his surprised when he heard the door scrape open at eight fifty. Mentally he scowled at whoever decided to shop at an ungodly hour, he would be closing in ten minutes - as much as he liked the older people that entered his shop, they were quiet and sweet unlike the teenagers, but they took longer than ten minutes to shop.

"Welcome to the-" he started to mumble his usual saying as people entered his store before his eyes landed on the customer. He tried to stand up and put down his newspaper, but the surprise made him lose balance on his chair and fall to the floor as his voice yelled, "YUKI!" He landed with a hard thud but was quickly back to his feet to make sure that it was truly, in fact, Yuki standing in the store.

The last time she was there was before their argument, and he thought she would never step foot in there again. His cigarette fell out of his mouth when they met eyes. It was Yuki. Her hair down, but fringe pulled back by a hairband. He could tell by the sweat glistening on her forehead and the twiddling of her fingers that she was nervous. There was only one reason she would have gone to the shop, and that was to fix the situation between them finally.

Yuki avoided his eyes as she tried to think of the right words to say. She had thought through everything on her way to the store. But now he was standing in front of her, she was drawing a blank, like someone had taken an eraser and rubbed out all of her planning. She used to hate the humming sound of the refrigerator, but now she was glad it replaced the awkward situation she had put herself in.

He was waiting for her to speak, watching her with eagle eyes. He did not want to go first, unsure of her real intention in the store. What if she did not want to fix the situation? What if she had come to the store to tell him she was leaving the team? He started to panic, a bead of sweat formed on his forehead, but he tried not to show his stress in his facial expression.

It felt like minutes had passed, and both still stood staring at each other. Yuki's could now only smell smoke from Keishin's cigarette, which had finally gone out. Finally, both swallowed nervously and opened their mouths to speak.

"I'm sorry," though the words came from neither them, "I know you're about to close, but we ran out of sugar, and you know Okura, he needs his Tea before bed." An older woman with thick grey hair walked into the store, a cane in her left hand helping her keep her balance. Both jumped at the unexpected visitor but sighed softly, seeing her go by.

"Don't worry Mrs Hitomi, I will get that for you right now," Keishin spoke before walking away. The older lady stopped and gave Yuki a friendly smile.

"I've have not seen you around in some time, Keishin said you were feeling unwell." Yuki was taken back by the woman's comment.

"Uh - yes, I'm f-feeling better now," she forced a smile.

The woman nodded and watched as Keishin picked up the sugar. "You know, he was quite a grump when you were not here. Not singing or smiling as much, barley keeping any conversation either." Yuki's eyebrows scrunched together; she glanced to the older lady, who was already looking at her with a smirk. "Whip him back into shape will you, I think you're the only one that can." She gave a final wink to Yuki as Keishin returned to the counter with sugar in hand.

Yuki blocked out the conversation between Keishin and the elderly lady as she tried her best to suppress her smile. Suddenly that weight of dread and tension faded. He had missed her, just as much as she missed him. If they talked it out, their friendship could be fixed, and go back to how it was. Apart from training with Keishin, Yuki's favourite times with him was working at the store. They would always sneak glances at each other when the other was busy. When he was with customers, she would pull funny faces or do silly dances to make him laugh mid-conversation. Despite her shooing him away every time, he would always end up helping her do stock, and when the store was empty, which it was a lot of the time, they would talk, about everything and anything. It was never awkward or forced. They both genuinely enjoyed each other's company, and both missed it - though Yuki would often find herself wishing their relationship was something more. How many times she thought - wished - about sneaking kisses between customers coming in and out, and hoped he would wrap his arms around her waist as she did stock.

"Have a goodnight," the older lady said as she exited the store, leaving Keishin and Yuki alone again, but this time, she relaxed. She finally met his eyes and spoke; she did not overthink but allowed her words to speak from the heart.

"I'm sorry," they said at the same time. Both huffed a laugh.

"No, I'm sorry," Yuki said, and put her hand up, signalling for him to stay quiet. She would tell her piece first. "Sorry f-for how I have acted for the last few weeks. I have b-been immature, stubborn and stupid. I promised that I would not push you a-away again, but that is exactly what I did. I don't seem to be very g-good at talking through my emotions," she chuckled lightly, and Keishin's lip twitched upwards. "When you said you would n-not support me at Volleyball I felt betrayed; I felt like a cat backed into a corner an-"

"And you either had to hide away or fight back." Keishin finished for her. Her eyes widened.

"How did you know I was g-going to say that?"

"There's something I need to talk to you about." He stood, and made his way to the front of the counter - hiding something behind his back - and leaned onto it, making the two be on eye level. "The other day, when you were drunk, it was not Saeko that took you to your room, it was me."

"B-but Saeko told me it was her?"

"I saw her the following morning and asked her to lie."

"Why?"

"Because I knew you would not have remembered anything. I thought it would have been easier to deal with at another time." Keishin did not meet her eyes as his hand reached to the back of his neck. "And because some stuff you told me got me thinking." Suddenly Yuki paled. What did she say? Had she had admitted she liked him? Got him thinking? About what?

"I never was going to support you in volleyball. I was stuck in that state of mind. It hurt me that you were pushing me away, but I thought I was just going to accept it like our friendship would never be mended. It hurt, but I was okay with that if it meant you were safe." Yuki raised an eyebrow, unsure where the conversation was going. "But I've changed my mind." Her face lit up, as though a bolt of electricity had been sent through of body.

"What made you change your mind?"

"Well - uh - you see," his hand scratched the back of his neck, "when you were drunk, you told me that for you to be happy, truly happy, you needed both volleyball and - uh - well... me, in your life," he did not meet her eyes. Saying it out loud made his ears pink. Yuki, on the other hand, was so embarrassed by his words that her face looked like a tomato. Part of her wished she remembered the night so she could remember exactly what she told him, while the other part is happy she did not remember, saving her further embarrassment.

"It made me realise something" he carried on, trying to avoid the slightly uncomfortable moment, "keeping you safe would be useless if you were unhappy."

"So you'll support me playing volleyball?" Yuki could not stop the smile which formed on her face, he was sweet, and it made feel warm inside, but her voice was surprisingly quiet, scared that he reject her again.

For the first time, they met eyes. Keishin smiled and nodded. "Yes I will," he could say nothing else as Yuki jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly and repeating _'thank you_ '. Keishin accepted the hug, though he knew the conversation was not finished. "But only under these three conditions." She pulled away. "One, if we do this, then wherever and whoever you play with must know your condition. If something were to go wrong and people don't know what's wrong, there is a higher chance you could die. I'll try to be there whenever I can, though." Yuki nodded, understanding his point. "Two, if for some reason I'm not there when you're playing or even practising, I would like, if it is okay with you, to be your emergency contact. If I'm not there, I'll be worried something might happen, so if I'm your contact and I don't get a call, I know you're okay." Yuki tried to suppress her smile and again nodded. "Lastly, when you play, you have to wear this."

Keishin turned his body and pulled out a black helmet. But not one that one would wear when riding a bicycle, it was not hard or thick. It was soft, made of some sort of material that would be used for kids toys in a play area, soft but durable. The bottom half of the helmet was a single strap that would go below a person's chin to ensure it would stay firmly on their head.

Yuki raised an eyebrow, staring at the helmet before looking at Keishin. "A helmet?"

"It's a helmet specially for Volleyball; it protects your head from impacts and collisions." Yuki knew why he had got it for her. But she could not help her face, which screwed up with disgust. She took it from him, glancing at him for a moment before placing it on her head. She opened the camera on her phone and looked at herself.

"I look r-ridiculous," she said, staring at herself horrified, not realising Keishin was watching her with a smile.

"You look fine; you look safe." Yuki gave him a deadpan stared.

"I look stupid."

"Would you rather look stupid or die?" His bluntness was always effective on Yuki. She sighed softly and looked back at the helmet. If it meant she could play volleyball and have Keishin back, she was happy to wear the helmet.

Keishin frankly did not think Yuki looked stupid or bad, the helmet straps made her cheeks squish together and he found her even cuter than before. But he did not voice his opinion, after that drunken night, it was obvious to Keishin that Yuki had feelings for him, like he did for her. But he thought, for now, it was best to keep their relationship just as friends. Yuki may not have wanted anything more yet. He did not want to do anything that could change their relationship; he nearly lost her; he did not want to risk it again.

"Fine," she said, catching his attention. "I agree t-to these three things. But I have my own c-condition." He sat up slightly. "If something were to happen to me. I want you to prioritise t-the team. No matter what. They need to get to nationals— n-no matter what. I need you to promise me that. The team over me."

"Yuki I can't do that. My top priority is you; it always will be." Her eyes widened slightly at his comment, and her stomach filled with butterflies. She could not stop the slight blush on her cheeks that crept up and smile which formed, but she shook her head. They needed to make the team the priority.

"No, please. If I wake up and know Karasuno did not m-make it to Nationals cause of me, i-it would break me. We both need to make sure the boys and the team is our n-number one priority." He sighed heavily. "Please."

After a moment, he nodded. "Fine. I promise I'll get the boys to nationals, no matter what."

"Thank you." Silence once again engulfed them. She swayed side to side and hummed softly, unknowing what to do. "So, do you need h-help with stock?"

Yuki smirked when she saw his eyebrows raise.

"Yes, please, god I've hated it doing it without you here," she chuckled at his comment, and the two worked together for the rest of the evening like nothing had changed. They laughed, talked, sung, and both were the happiest they had been in weeks.

The stock was done slower than usual, neither wanting the night to come to an end. Not when they just got each other back. The two sat quietly as Keishin pulled the car up outside Yuki's grandfather's house. Before he could say goodnight, she leaned over to his side and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a tight hug. He was taken back by the sudden action but returned the gesture.

"I've missed you," she mumbled softly into his shoulder.

He held her tighter. "I've missed you too, little crow."

They sat there for a moment; he stroked her hair softly with his hand while the older held her waist tightly.

"I'm sorry for being so s-stubborn and stupid."

"It's okay; I was stubborn and stupid too."

"D-do you want me to come help at the store again tomorrow?"

"I would like that; maybe I could even do some sets for you just before we start..."

Yuki smiled at that. "Yú saw my jump serve today; he wants me to s-show the rest of the team tomorrow."

"What was his reaction when saw you do it?"

"He was pretty excited. Last time he saw me do it w-was at the National Finals."

The conversation died, and still, neither wanted to let go. Finally, though, Yuki pulled away slowly, their faces were close for a moment, she paused and looked at his eyes, then to his lips, she wanted too, but decided against it, remembering that he only saw her as a friend. She forced herself away and wished him a good night before opening the car door.

"Hey," Keishin stopped her from stepping out of the car. "Can I pick you up a like two-ish? Give you a lift to training?"

"Two? Is that not a bit early for training?"

"I want to make a small stop somewhere else before we head to the school. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Yuki's head tilted to the side confused, but none the less, she agreed.

"See you tomorrow, Keishin." She smiled brightly and gave a final wave before entering the house. He watched until she was gone entirely before undoing the button of his jeans, sorting _it_ out. It had grown in a slightly, _uncomfortable_ position during the hug. He laid his head back on the headrest, wondering what to do. He wanted nothing more to kiss her there and then, but he was afraid of how she would react. They just got back to being friends again, he did not see the season to rush into anything more just yet, but he was unsure how to tell _it_ that. It seemed to have a mind of its own when she was around.


	25. Family Relative

Yuki sat in the kitchen, tapping nervously on the table. It was 2:30 and Keishin had not turned up yet - she did not have a message or call from him either. She did not understand why she was so nervous. She had been ready far earlier than necessary and had been waiting for him since, and over the last hour, she started to overthink.

_ What if pushing him away meant their friendship would never go back to normal? What if he realized his life was better without her? What if he was choosing to help her so she could focus on helping the team again, and then when the season was over, he stopped supporting her? What if- _

** BEEP BEEP **

Her eyes shot down to her phone.

** Caller: Keishin **

She nervously swallowed and picked it up, swiping the green call icon across her screen.

"Hello?" she said, phone by her ear.

"Hey, I'm really sorry I'm late, the store suddenly got super busy, and then stock came in. It was a mess, I wanted to message you, but I had no time. I've just finished. I'll be there in ten minutes, is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine." She smiled.

"Again I'm sorry-"

"Its fine, i-it was busy. Nothing you could have done. See you s-soon."

"See you soon." Both hung up the phone with goofy smiles plastered on their faces.

Yuki calmed down her fears of why he had not turned up fading. She had to get better at controlling her emotions, even if something were to happen, she could not push him away. Both times she did it, she felt like she was falling down a pit of despair. He was her light in the darkness, and if she put it out again, she was not sure if it would ever come back on.

The ten minutes went by at a slow pace; she stared at her watch as she anxiously waited. She was finally feeling more excited than nervous, though she did wonder where Keishin was taking her. He said he wanted to take her to meet someone, and no matter how hard she thought, she could not think of who it could be. Who would he want her to meet?

** Knock Knock **

Yuki shot out of her seat and made her way to the door. She quickly straightened out her clothes and opened the door with a broad grin. Keishin pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and blew out the smoke before returning the smile.

"Ready?" he asked. Yuki nodded and stepped outside the door, calling out to her grandfather that she was leaving before jumping into his car. "Again, I'm really sorry about being so l-"

"I told you, it's f-fine. I'm just excited to see where w-we are going. I'm assuming you're not going to tell me even if I-I ask?"

"Nope, but you'll like it, don't worry." Yuki trusted him, and decided not to push the answer; she would find out what it was soon enough.

It was fairly a warm day; both windows were down, Keishin's right arm rested on the open window sill, cigarette in mouth and sun shining down on him. Yuki did not mean to stare, but it looked like the sun-kissed his skin, his brown eyes glistened, and every time he blew out smoke his lips slightly pouted, the moisture on his lips shining.

"Do you want some music?" he asked, smirking. Her eyes widened; he caught her. She looked away and nodded her head quickly, her hair covering her red cheeks. He watched her from the corner of her eye, he knew she was staring, but he did not mind. If he did not have to look at the road, then he was sure he would be staring at her. His eyebrows scrunched together when he realized her fringe was down, covering her face.

"No hairband today?"

"Oh - uh - I must of f-forgot..."

"Here take mine, you'll need it." Yuki had no time to reject his offer as he took it off and passed it over to her. She glanced up at him, his hair fell to the front of his face, she tried her best not show how attracted she was to him at that moment in time and as she put the headband on, and turned to look out of the window.

Keishin watched her from the corner of his eyes. The last few weeks he started to hate driving around, he would always look over to the passenger seat, his heart dropping seeing it empty. He would have no music on, knowing that no one would sing with him, but now, she was back, and he had to make sure he would not lose her again. He put out his cigarette and turned on the radio, instantly a song came on that they both knew.

The journey was not long, but the two enjoyed it. Dancing and singing together and no awkwardness. It felt like their break had not even happened.

Keishin parked the car outside a long building surrounded by crops. She raised an eyebrow to him, showing her confusion, but he simply smiled and contuied walking towards the building. She followed despite being sceptical. He did not go to the front door, but around the building and walked to the back garden. She heard the sound of volleyball's getting slapped - it was now a sound she could recognize instantly - and children talking. It further confused Yuki. But before she could say anything, she turned the corner of the building and into the back garden where she saw a familiar face.

"Coach Ukai..."

"Yuki Nishinoya," he said, hands on his hips as he stood tall. "I was wondering when Keishin would bring you around." She chuckled lightly, and walked forward, looking up, her eyes scanning the area.

"I've been here b-before..." she mumbled.

_ It was the night before the team would leave for nationals. Yuki walked around Miyagi, struggling to keep her head on straight. Despite there be little pressure going into nationals from a broad point of view, she felt all the pressure from her team. They were looking to her. They said she was the reason the team had got to nationals, and she would take them to victory. No matter how strong a person was, that was a lot to have on one person's shoulders. _

_ Yuki never saw herself as a leader. As second-year came to a close, she assumed Izumi would be the Captain for the next year. Yuki knew she was going to be the Ace, but the Captain? Her? Little loud Yuki as Captain? It sounded foreign in her head. She thought she was simply the motivation for the team when things got dire. That when the team was losing, and everyone grew quiet, she made sure to still be loud. She was the fire that shone brighter as the world around got dark. She never thought that was a quality to be a leader, but it gained everyone's respect. People listened when she spoke because she was the voice of reason when everyone else started to give up. _

_ But now, she needed a voice of reason; she was starting to doubt herself. Was she strong enough to handle the pressure of nationals? Would she be able to keep her calm when split decisions needed to be made? Thousands of eyes would be watching her. The girl who took the crows to nationals. That's what people started calling her. The girl that could fly. Yet she felt like her wings were on the verge of being clipped. _

_ "Yuki!" Her head shot up. On the other side of the road stood Udai. A second-year boy who played on the volleyball team. "What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be at home getting ready for nationals?" he sounded like a parent who had caught their child sneaking out. _

_ Yuki held back a chuckle. "Needed some air." She answered bluntly. _

_ "You're nervous." _

_ "That obvious?" _

_ It was quite for a moment. _

_ "I've got an idea. Come." He told her. She was confused, but followed anyway, too lazy to question it. _

_ Neither spoke as they walked along the streets of Miyagi. Yuki still too in her head to come up with anything for a conversation, and Udai was not much of a talker anyway. The two had played together multiple times, and hung out on the odd occasion. They were not close, but they were friends and had a good competitive battle between them. Both of them were short but still excelled when in mid-air. _

_ "Coach Ukai, I brought someone else. I hope that's okay." Udai called out. Yuki pulled out of her gaze and inspected her surroundings. It was a long building circled by crops. _

_ "Coach Ukai?" she asked. _

_ "Yeah, he lives here, but sometimes he'll help me with some extra training." _

_ The two walked around the building and to the back garden, where a volleyball net was already set up. Coach Ukai stood just outside the doors, his arm crossed. He and Yuki met eyes, and he did not need to ask why she was there. _

_ "Joining in on our session, are we, Nishinoya?" _

_ "Eh - yes - if that is okay with you, Sir." She answered, deciding maybe playing would help ease her mind, but was unsure if he would want her there. She and he had a good relationship. She respected him more than anyone else, whatever he said, she would take to heart, and he respected her, knowing how talented she was as both as a leader and player. But that did not change the fact that everyone was scared of him, he could be very strict and sometimes mean, and no one wanted to get on his bad side. _

_ "Alright, but don't get injured. I'll never live it down. Akari is already on my ass for letting you play with the boys." _

_ Yuki nodded, and the three started playing. It went as it usually did, Coach Ukai setting for one, and the other receiving, but the issue was, Yuki sucked. She was missing balls left right and centre. But neither of the guys said anything, simply watching her struggle. At first, she was just lazy, not bothering to hit or receive well. But after a while, she started trying, disliking her mistakes, but then she grew annoyed because even when she was trying, she was messing up. _

_ "DAMN IT!" She kicked the ball and sent it flying far into the crops. Her hands balled into a fist; she stared down at the floor as tears started to fall. She was furious. She was in her head too much. Nationals was the next day, and she could not even spike right. _

_ "Udai, go grab the ball." Coach Ukai said. _

_ "But-" _

_ "Now." _

_ Udai sighed and ran off into the crops. Yuki breathed heavy, her blood boiling. Coach Ukai walked over and stood in front of her. Arms crossed over his chest; his facial expression was stoic. _

_ "Why did you do that then?" He asked. _

_ "I can't - do it." She said between breaths. _

_ "What? Spike?" _

_ "I WON'T BE ABLE TO LEAD THEM IN NATIONALS!" _

_ "Then who will? Izumi? Akari?" He was surprisingly calm despite her just shouting in his face. She said nothing. "You're the reason they have even made it to nationals. They are looking to you to lead them all the way-" _

_ "THAT'S WHAT I'M SCARED OFF! EVERYONE IS LOOKING TO ME! WHAT IF I FAIL? WHAT IF I MAKE A BAD CALL? WHAT I-" _

**_ SLAP _ **

_ He had hit her up the backside of her head. It was not hard enough to cause her any pain, but enough to snap her back to reality. _

_ "Get out of your head. They trust you. Now start to trust yourself. Not only are you a talented volleyball player, but you are a great leader. Do not change now. Use your voice every time you can, but remember they are still your team. Use your voice to pick them up when they are down, and they will do the same in return. They may all be looking to you, but you are not alone. If you fall, they will catch you. A crow flies alone, but once they've found their prey, the rest will follow." _

Yuki looked to Coach Ukai and smiled.

"I guess I never t-thanked you and Udai for that day," she told him, looking out at the crops. "Who knows what would have h-happened if he did not bring me here."

"Udai?" Hinata appeared beside her. She had not even realized he was there. She looked to Keishin and raised an eyebrow.

"I brought him here so he," nodding towards Old Coach Ukai, "could train him. Help him spike better." Yuki nodded, understanding.

"Udai was, as you know him, the Tiny Giant," Coach Ukai told Hinata. His eyes lit up with glee.

"No way! YOU PLAYED WITH THE TINY GIANT?" He pointed to Yuki, making her chuckle.

"Sometimes."

"He looked up to her," Coach Ukai said, proudly.

"NO WAY!" Hinata's smile grew even bigger, his eyes now in awe of her.

"He did not l-look up to me. He just always wanted to jump higher than me. We were both on the shorter side f-for spikers, so we had a friendly rivalry."

"YOU COULD JUMP HIGHER THAN HIM?" She nodded. "NO WAY! YOU'RE AMAZING!" She chuckled at that, slightly embarrassed by his praise.

"Why don't you show him a few spikes?" Coach Ukai smirked, he knew what he was doing. At first, she was going to deny the offer, but seeing Hinata stare up at her, she felt she had to do it.

"Fine, only a f-few though. We've got to go train the other boys." She walked over to Keishin and passed her phone for him to hold, but she could see the concern on his face. "I'll be fine, it's your grandad, he'll give g-good sets, and I won't be r-receiving anyway." Keishin looked passed Yuki, and to his grandad, he trusted him, but it did not help the pit in his stomach.

Keishin nodded, and Yuki walked away, standing at the edge of the court. She did not realize the few other kids that were standing to the side - they must have been Coach Ukai's other students. They were eagerly watching.

"Ready?" Coach Ukai asked.

Yuki nodded and sent the ball into the air.

"First tempo." She instantly shot forward at his words, the ball landing into hands, he set it towards her, she watched as the ball started to reach its peak. Her arms swung back, and her legs bent, she flew up, going far higher than the net and slammed the ball down with ease.

All Ukai's students - including Hinata - gasped and were in awe of her. They spoke to each other about awesome she was. She could not help but feel a sting of pride hit her chest. She looked to Keishin, who too was smiling, and gave her a small wink, her stomach turned and twisted as Coach Ukai spoke again.

"Okay, one more time. Now everyone watch closely."

Yuki nodded and stood at the edge of the court again. Keishin raised an eyebrow, something about his grandfather's tone was a little off. He walked forward, standing closer to the court than before.

She hit the ball towards Coach Ukai. "Second Tempo," she waited for the ball to hit his hands before running forward. She mimicked her actions from before, shooting up into the air and watching the ball. Her left arm started to swing forward, but her eyes widened, the ball was short. Her arm moved further to the right, her whole body leaning over, and she just hit the ball in time to get it over the net. She came down to the floor and barley laded on her feet, losing her balance and tripping forward.

"Yuki!" Keishin was quick to catch her before she hit the floor. "You okay?" he asked her as she stood, his heart racing.

"Yeah," she answered with a smile.

"What the hell was that for?" Keishin yelled to his grandad, furious by his actions, but he was quick to regret it. Ukai grabbed his grandson's arm and sent him flying across the court.

"Just 'cause you're a weakling doesn't mean she is." He smirked at Yuki before talking to the rest of the class. "Now, that is how you know she is a good spiker. Sometimes sets won't be perfect. Being able to react and change your attack mid-air is a powerful tool, and if you can use it well, no one can beat you in a mid-air battle.

Keishin groaned as he made his way back to Yuki, ensuring to stay away from his grandfather. "We are going now." 

Yuki waved her goodbye's and joined Keishin in the car. Nothing else was said on what had just happened, but it was apparent to Yuki he was unhappy. But it made her like him, even more, to see he was worried about her, but said nothing knowing that pestering her to stay safe would possibly annoy her.

"Thank you for taking me, it w-was nice seeing him again. He helped me a lot during high school."

"I know he did." His blunt answer made her heart sink. He had not looked her way since they left his grandads. She turned down the music. Again he did not look at her. She sighed softly and reached over, her hand landing on top of his.

"Hey, I'm okay," she spoke softly. Again Keishin did not look, his eyes glued to the road. "You're g-granddad knows what he's doing. He would not have done that if he thought I could have g-got hurt."

It took a moment, but Keishin gave in and took a deep breath. "I know," he gently removed his hands from under hers, before replacing it on top of hers and lightly grabbing it. "I just worry, if something were to h-"

"It won't, okay? We have to focus on the t-team now anyway." Keishin glanced to her and nodded. They did have to focus on the team. He drove into the gate of the school and parked up. She leaned over her seat and placed a small kiss on his cheek.

"I think it's s-sweet that you worry so much," Keishin eyes grew wide and his cheeks heated up as she jumped out of the car before he could say anything. A smile crept to his lips as he watched her go towards the gym. His hand reached up to his cheek, touching the tingling spot where he just felt her lips. He wished nothing more but to grab her and kiss her right there, but as she said, they needed focus on the team. He would make his move after the training camp. It was less than two weeks away. He could wait that long, and then he would take her out somewhere, somewhere nice, on a date, and by the end, she'll be his girlfriend. That all he wanted, to be able to call Yuki his girl.


	26. Team Growth

"YUKI, YOU'RE HERE!" Yú yelled as she entered the gym. He ran over to her. "Did you do it?" he whispered, "did you talk to him?"  
  
"Yeah, I did, t-thank you," she smiled and ruffled his hair.  
  
"WHOO HOO!" He cheered, jumping up and punching the air. "NOW YOU CAN SHOW EVERYONE YOUR JUMP SERVE!" Her cheeks grew red as the team looked over to them. It was apparent he had already told them about it before she got there.  
  
"Uh - I-I-"  
  
"Would be good practise for you and Dachi to receive it, and could be good for Asahi to learn from," Keishin walked in and added. She looked to him, surprised.  
  
"Are you s-sure?" Out of everyone, Yuki thought he would be the last one to support her."Yeah, just don't get hurt, okay?" She smiled and nodded. He walked over to the boys to set them up. She walked over to the edge of the court. Suga passed her a ball. She bounced the ball twice before looking up. Daichi and Yú were on the other side of the court in their ready stance. Both were smirking as they waited for her incoming hit.  
  
Yuki glanced to the left quickly, everyone's sights on her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wondered if this is how she felt when serving in a match. All focus on her, waiting in anticipation. The pressure would not be the same as in a game, but she did not want to mess it up, not when Yú had spoken so proudly of her.  
  
Her eyes shot open, and she held the ball out. Keishin blew his whistle. Her eyes found where she was targeting, in between Daichi and Yú. They would have to communicate to get the ball, and that way, it would at least give them a chance to try and receive it. She threw the ball into the air. One-step. Two-step. Three-step. JUMP!  
  
Everyone's eyes stayed on her as she shot into the air. Despite Asashi seeing it before, he still was just as starstruck as everyone else. Kageyama's jaw dropped, Tuskishima seemed unbothered but was secretly impressed, and Keishin smirked. Yú was unphased by her action, already seeing it before and was the first to move, Daichi seemed too in awe to register what was happening. All eyes stayed on the ball as it flew past the net, Yú got behind it, smirking, thinking he would stop it, but when the ball hit his arms, it flew up, and far out of bounds, even in a match no one would be able to get it.  
  
For a moment, it was silent. Yuki stood tall with a grin. Her breathing slightly faster than usual. She looked around and saw herself standing centre court. Hundreds of people in the audience, all standing and clapping. The banner 'Fly' stood out to the left. Saeko was cheering loudly in the front. Not much further down was Old Coach Ukai, smirking, his arms folded over his chest, and beside him was Keishin, clapping and cheering loudly. Old Coach Ukai faded and in his place stood Tanaka, his jaw hanging open.  
  
"THAT WAS TOTALLY AWESOME!" He yelled. The rest of the team agreed, praising her on her serve. She looked to her red hand, unable to get rid of her smile, before closing it into a fist.  
  
After that day, the boys respected her far more than before. It was never that they disrespected her, but more now they listened more intently to everything she said. The following week was filled with training and working. If she were not working at the store with Keishin, she would be somewhere working with the team. Sometimes she was with Hinata and Old Coach Ukai, helping with his spikes. Other times she was with Asashi, helping his serves, Yú would be there too, improving his receives and starting working on his sets. He wanted to be able to set for his team if Kageyama or Suga ever touched the ball first. It was not something that would happen often, but if I did, it was always great to have a back up such as that.  
  
When there was nothing to do at the store, Keishin and Yuki would look through footage of any and every volleyball team, going from professionals teams to high school teams they would play against in the prelims. Karasuno needed more tricks up their sleeve, and the two were getting excited with ideas. They got some of the team together and showed them a video of a 'synchronise attack'. It is when the whole team would run at the same time for a spike. It was a powerful tool if done correctly because the opposing team would not know who to block, but it does have a flaw. If the spike was blocked, there would be no one to dig up the rebounded ball. It was a risk, but a risk worth taking.  
  
Surpinsgly enough, Yuki found herself working with Kageyama a lot more than expected. He was a setter after all, and she usually was a spiker, she did not think she would be much help, but Keishin had told her that Hinata and Kageyama had a fight of sorts, and she could feel the tension between them. Right now, he did not have his usual upbeat friend, and the last thing she wanted was Kageyama getting into his own head. So while Keishin was helping the others, she threw the ball for him to set. At first, he too was surprised to see she was helping, he was sure she would be more useful for helping others, but he did not complain. After seeing her jump serve, he wanted nothing more but her advice and help.  
  
"It's okay, go a-again," she would say multiple times to him as he started to grow frustrated every time he missed. He was attempting to do a set that would help Hinata spike better. She liked to call it the 'float drop', where it would stay in the air for a moment, giving time for the spiker to analyse where to hit it before dropping straight down. It was an incredibly hard thing to do for any player, and Yuki found it admirable that he was trying to learn it to help Hinata. If the two could combine their new skills, she had no doubt they could get to nationals.  
  
"Kageyama, it's okay." She walked over to him, they were just over ten minutes in, and she could see he was already losing his nerve. "Try p-picture a wall where the water bottle is. And try to get as close to t-the wall as possible, but don't hit it. Stop the ball i-inches before it, okay?" Kageyama gave a stern nod. She hoped that imagining something more physical would help him understand where the ball needed to go more. It was hard enough as it is to do the set he was attempting, but also trying to imagine where Hinata would be was even more challenging. A wall was simpler, easier to see.  
  
"You g-got this." He nodded again as she passed the ball to him. She watched closely as his eyes glanced to where he wanted to set. His hands cupped the ball, and his arms bent down before launching it behind him. Yuki had not meant to hold her breath, she had watched him do the same thing a hundred times now, but this felt like the one. It sped to its peak, then suddenly slowed, the ball still spinning, but floated in the same spot for a moment, before dropping to the floor, and hitting the water bottle.  
  
"YES!" They both cheered. Yuki ran over and gave him a high-five.  
  
"Good job!" She told him grinning and ruffling his hair. That was the first time she felt proud like a coach. He had been struggling to do it for a few days now, and she could see his frustrating building. "Again?"  
  
"Again."  
  
Slowly but surely his sets were becoming more consistent, and on the last day, he asked her an unexpected question.  
  
"Can I try set for you? Using this technique? I've haven't tried it in any matches yet, and wanted to try it with someone before Toyko." Yuki was taken back. She was not sure why, but she felt a ping of pride hit her chest. Kageyama was rather particular, he wanted only the best, and for him to ask her to hit his set, she finally realised how he saw her.  
  
"S-sure, but only a few, everyone w-will be here soon for some games." He agreed, and they took their positions. She passed the ball to him and started her run; he set it, she watched it and jumped at its peak. For a moment she was awe, the ball just sat in the air for a second, allowing her time to think clearly on where to hit it. It was only a moment, but for people like her and Hinata, it was enough to give them the edge in mid-air battle. She could see the court clearly, and if there were any blockers she was sure she could easily get passed them.  
  
They did a few attempts, some of hits sets were too long or too short, but she was always able to hit them nonetheless. It was not perfect, but Kageyama was getting better, and to finally set the ball for an actual person was progress in itself.  
  
The rest of the team arrived just as the two did their final spike. "Good job," she told Kegayama before walking over to Keishin as he entered the hall.  
  
"How did it go?" he asked her.  
  
"Good, he asked me to h-hit some of his sets. Hopefully, that'll help him out when it c-comes to actual matches." His eyebrows scrunched together. "They were just some sets, nothing d-dangerous," she reassured him, though his stern expression did not let up. "Stop worrying so much," she giggled.  
  
"I can't help it!" He replied, his face softening when he looked to her. "I just don't want to get hurt. Is that a bad thing to want?"  
  
"No, it's sweet." Part of her wanted to go on her tiptoes and give him another kiss on the cheek, but she stopped herself. The time she did it in the car last week was entirely on instinct; she had not meant to, it's like her body took control. However, she realised he did not seem to mind it, and she wondered what if he did see her as a friend before, but now they spend more time together, he saw her as more? She craved for the answer but did not want to be distracted from the team. What if she kissed him and he rejected her? She would never live down the embarrassment, and the awkwardness would take away from Karasuno.  
  
"Now, that it's summer vacation, we can practise from morning to night!" Takeda started, the boys had just finished their practice match against each other. "And starting tomorrow, we'll return to the Toyko away games. This time, we'll be there for a solid week! This is the first and last long-term training camp before the spring tournament prelims. Let's make the most of this opportunity, so we have no regrets entering the spring tournament prelims!"  
  
"YEAH!" The team cheered, including herself. The speech even got her excited, and she was not even playing.  
  
The last week she had grown a lot closer to the team. She had spent a lot of time with them individually and in groups. She wanted nothing more but to see them succeed; they had passion and drive that motivated her to work harder every day. She learnt from them as much as she learnt from her. As silly as it sounded, they taught her what it was like to be part of a team again. She had been with Karausno for a while now, but being with the boys for hours on end, talking, laughing and playing, something about that week clicked differently. 

Part of her wondered if that was to do with Keishin, and that she was happy things were back to normal. Or that she got to talk to Old Coach Ukai again and more memories were resurfacing. Seeing Hinata train brought back memories of when she was a first-year and how much she grew as a player.Saying Yuki was excited for the training week was an understatement. She could not wait to show other teams how much they improved, they may not win all their matches, but how much they will grow in the next week make her both excited and proud. Karasuno would be feared again.  
  
The team said their goodbyes and Yuki walked off with Keishin to his car. They had spent most days together at the store if they were not training with the team, and he would drive her to her grandad's every night and pick her up each morning. However, they would be leaving very early in the morning for Toyko, so they decided Yuki would stay at his that night.  
  
"Take your stuff upstairs, I'll start food," Keishin told her as they went through the front door. She nodded and made her way to the guest bedroom, placing her bag on the floor. She wanted to get changed, but decided against it and wait till she had showered. When she walked back downstairs, her nose was hit with a delicious scent, one she could not place a finger on but one her stomach grumbled too.  
  
"Want any help?" she asked, walking into the kitchen.  
  
"Sure, can you cook?"  
  
"A bit, you may n-need to help me here and there though." She walked over and stood beside him, looking down at the ingredients that laid out. "What are you planning to m-make?"  
  
"Ramen Noodle Soup, I remember one time you said you liked it."  
  
"Oh yeah, I haven't had it in ages!"  
  
"Perfect," he smiled.  
  
Yuki did not know what she was doing, there were quite a few ingredients around, and Keishin got her cutting the chicken while he did everything else. She watched him go around the kitchen like he was a professional chef. He kept going past her, grabbing different things from cupboards and drawers, his arm reaching over or around her. She was impressed, to say the least, there was no doubt he was a good cook.  
  
"Okay, perfect, now we just have to wait twenty minutes for it to cook."  
  
The two sat at the table as they waited for it to cook. They talked more about how their sessions went. Their main concern was Tsukishima; he seemed to be the only one that was not trying harder than he needed to. He was just there, and it was frustrating because both coaches knew how strong he could be if he tried a little harder.  
  
"This is so good!" Yuki could not help but say as she took a bite of the Ramen Noodles which had finally finished cooking. "I didn't know you could cook t-this well!"  
  
Keishin ears grew pink, "My mum taught me how to cook, she insisted I learnt. When I was younger I hated it, but now I'm glad she forced me to, I enjoy having a good meal every night." Yuki smiled softly.  
  
"That's sweet, your future girlfriend w-will be a very lucky girl," she knew it was a cheeky comment and kept her eyes down on her food. Keishin had many comebacks to the comment, some that could easily push their relationship further right there and then, but he held his tongue. They continued eating, the time ticking by, both knew they had to get an early night.  
  
"Are you excited for tomorrow?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah," she nodded, "I thought I would be n-nervous, but with how hard the team has worked, I want to see how t-they do against the other teams. It'll be rough at first I t-think, but by the end, I think Karasuno will be a team others will be scared of." Keishin nodded, agreeing with her words.  
  
Both finished their meals, and Yuki helped Keishin clean up.  
  
"Think we've got to call it a night," he said.  
  
"Yeah, I don't think I'm g-going to sleep much, though," she was practically jumping up and down with excitement.  
  
"Well you can sleep on the coach, so you'll be okay. I've got to switch with Takeda through the journey," his hand scratched his head as he dreaded the next morning.  
  
"Do you think a-after the training camp you could teach me?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "To drive?" She nodded. "Eh - sure, if you'd like." He thought for a moment. "You're not wanting to drive cause you feel bad for me driving you around all the time, right? Cause I don't mind."  
  
She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know; I t-think I'll be nice to drive. Then I can help you and Takeda when we are on the coach," she grinned.  
  
"Mhm, it could be nice, but it's not needed. Takeda and I don't really mind. But if you want to, I don't mind helping you out."  
  
 _ **BEEP BEEP  
  
**_ Yuki looked at her phone. It was 9 pm, they would have to be up around 4 am."Guess it's bedtime."  
  
"If your alarm doesn't wake you up I will come in and pour cold water on you," Keishin said, his expression serious. Her eyes widened.  
  
"You wouldn't."  
  
"I would."  
  
Yuki's jaw hung open, holding back a chuckle. "Well, maybe I wouldn't mind that." Keishin ears grew pink at her sly remark. He had nothing to reply. She giggled lightly before pushing up onto her tiptoes and kissing him on his cheek. This one was softer then the last one, she hovered there for a moment, before mumbling "Goodnight Keishin, see you in the morning."  
  
"S-see you in the morning..." he watched her walk out of the kitchen before letting out a deep breathe. It felt like she was testing him. Did he want her to make a move already? If she wanted something more already, why did she not make a move first? Did she not know he liked her too? Was that her way to give him clues? He was confused, but he made a promise to focus on the team. He placed his head on the kitchen counter.  
  
"Just one more week, think about the team. One more week..."


	27. Training Camp

"Yuki, you got to get up," Keishin whispered as he gently nudged Yuki who was still fast asleep in bed despite her alarm going off.

"Do I have too?"

He chuckled lightly. "I mean you don't have, but that means you won't be able to come to Toyko."

She groaned softly. "But I'm so tired..." Her eyes slowly opened.

"Alrighty, but that means I'll have to eat your food before I go." Yuki sat up in an instance.

"You made food?"

Keishin laughed. "Right, so food is the way to get you up. That is duly noted." He turned on the light to her room, causing her to shield her eyes for a second. "Got to be quick otherwise it'll go cold."

Yuki was half asleep as they drove to Karasuno high school. Keishin was yawning every few seconds, but at least he could keep his eyes open.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" he asked her.

"A l-little...I just was so excited my mind could not relax." He shook his head and smiled softly as he watched her nod off multiple times.

"You can sleep properly on the coach." His hand reached up and ruffled her hair.

Yuki stood beside Keishin as Takeda spoke to the team, though she did not process any of his words. If she was perfectly honest, she probably had only slept an hour or two. She had not meant to stay up; her mind would not rest. It was constantly thinking about situations that could happen at the training camp. She thought about the spring prelims coming up. When Karausno first played against Aoba Johsai and how they would compare against them now. And then she thought about Nationals. That was the goal, but they had a lot of strong teams to go against before they got there. The training camp was important; they needed to learn and grow as much as they could.

It was only a few minutes into the drive to Toyko and Yuki had already fallen into a deep sleep, her head resting on Keishin's shoulder. He looked down at her and watched as her chest moved up and down with each breath. Her face was completely relaxed, her hair falling forward, but her hairband keeping her fringe out of her face. He had not meant to stare like he was, but he was captivated by her beauty. He wished he never had to see her cry again; it broke his heart, seeing her pretty little face be torn apart by fear and pain.

"Is it official yet?" His head shot up at Takeda's words.

"What?"

"You and Yuki, is it official?" Keishin's ears grew pink.

"I-I - uh - no, not official yet," Takeda nodded, Keishin's eyebrows scrunched together. "You know?"

"I think even the team knows."

"No they don't."

"Actually we do," Suga pipped in from behind them.

"WHAT?"

"You're not very discreet. Even when you guys are not talking, you stare at each other." Tanaka joined the conversation.

"I don't stare...do I?" Keishin could not believe what he was hearing.

"You're more obvious than her."

"Wait, what are we talking about?" Yú asked, curious.

"Yuki and Coach Ukai."

"What about Coach Nishinoya and Coach Ukai?" Hinata asked an eyebrow raised.

"You don't know?" Kageyama commented.

"Know what?"

"That they like eachoth-"

"Have you guys talked about this before?!" Keishin's voice was higher than usual.

"Oh yeah, we all have bets on whether you're going to ask her out before or after the spring prelims."

"Tanaka!" Daichi glared at the second year, before looking back to Keishin with a smile. "We don't have that going on Coach, that would be completely inappropriate..." he glared back at the skinhead.

"Alright, end of conversati-" Keishin tried to stop the gossiping that was happening about his love life, not liking it one bit, but was cut off.

"You should take her out somewhere nice and then confess your feelings during a romantic dinner!" Tanaka's eyes grew, his hands clapped together in front of him as he imagined the scene.

"I'm not taking love advice from a teenager!"

"Or maybe you could confess it-"

"Shut up, if you wake her up I'm going to make sure you sit on the bench for most of the week!"

Everyone grew silent.

"Imagine if she secretly heard this whole thing and woke up and he has to confess his feelings right now-"

"TANAKA!" Keishin finally shouted, shutting him up, but Yuki stirred beside him. Everyone's eyes widened, staring at the girl they had all just been discussing. But after a moment, she stopped moving and relaxed again. Keishin let out a sigh of relief. "No more on the topic. That's final."

The van was silent for a few moments, but it did not take long for the boys to get back into different conversations. Keishin relaxed, looking down at Yuki, trying he best not to smile. He would be lost without her by his side. He realised that when she stopped talking to him. He was also secretly glad that the boys somewhat, 'approved' of their relationship, though he would never admit that to anyone. 

The boys all cared for her; she had grown on them just like they did on her. She was younger than Keishin, and her younger side would show itself at times when she was with them. She would be silly and goofy, but he found it adorable. Keishin knew that if he were not there to look out for her, the team would always have her back, and that put him at ease. And if anyone tried it on with her when he was not around, he now also knew, they would not let that happened. He and she belonged together, and it was nice that the team also saw that.

Keishin snaked his hand into her right one that rested on his leg, intertwining their fingers before leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on her head. It was only a subtle, but it was enough to be caught out by a certain skinhead loudmouth.

"THEY ARE SO CUTE!"

"TANAKA!" Dachi was the first to react, and before anything else was said, a bag containing a volleyball hit Tanaka's head.

"Next time I'm going to throw something a lot harder!" Keishin told him. The bus erupted into laughter, Tanaka huffed embarrassed and said nothing else.

Nothing else was said about Keishin and Yuki for the rest of the journey. Keishin was upset when he and Takeda had to switch places and was careful to move Yuki so she did not wake up. Which thankfully, she did not. As they started to near Toyko, the boys began to grow excited, getting louder and louder with each passing minute.

"I stick to what I said before if you wake her up you're sitting on the bench for most of the week!" Everyone quieten down, but it did not stop their excitement.

Finally, they arrived, everyone jumped off the bus, stretching out their aching body parts. Keishin was about to awake up Yuki, but her brother got there before him.

"TIME TO WAKE UP YUKI!" Yú screamed, opening the door that she was leaning on. Her eyes shot open at his yell; a scream left her lips after as she found herself falling to the concrete floor. She put her hands out just in time to catch herself. She looked up and gave a dark glare to her brother.

"You're so dead!"

"You better run," Tanaka laughed, and just as he did Yuki shot off towards her brother who had already started running in the other direction. The rest of the team gathered their stuff and starting walking to the school. Keishin grabbed Yuki's things as he walked with Takeda. Not long later did Yuki and Yú roll up behind them, Yú's head in a headlock and getting noogied by Yuki.

"Do that again, and I'll k-kill you." She told him, pushing his head away playfully making him laugh.

Yú ran off and caught up with the rest of the team, and Yuki walked beside Kesihin and Takeda.

"Sleep well?" Keishin asked.

"Yeah..." Yuki's arms raised and she pushed onto her tiptoes as she stretched out her body. "Really good a-actually. I feel good." She grinned.

"Good," he returned the smile.

Yuki had noticed the school they were in that week was different from the two-day camp. She mentally scowled knowing she would most likely get lost; it was bigger than the one the other one. When the doors opened to the gym, she felt her inner eighteen-year-old self appear, remembering when she first saw a gym so big, filled with teams and different players. She remembered the nerves but the excitement to play. Her small smile became a broad grin.

"YUKI!" Her head snapped to the left. Bokuto was running over to her, hands flying in the air. "How was your week?"

"It was g-good. How was yours?"

"Great! I'm excited to play! Will you be watching, right? We're going against Karasuno first!"

"Should be f-fun, don't go too hard on my b-boys, okay?"

"I can't help I'm so awesome!" She laughed at his comment. "But I'll try my best to go easy on them, just for you!" His broad smile was infectious, and she found herself mimicking it. "I've got to go warm up!" He started to run away, but she quickly called for him.

"Wait, one second, I need to a-ask a favour!"

"What's up?"

"You see him, the tall b-blonde boy with glasses?" she pointed to Tsukishima who was warming up on the other court. Bokuto nodded. "If you ever need s-someone to block for you after the matches, try to see i-if you can get him to do it. I doubt he will, h-he's not one to do extra training, but he has a lot of potential, and maybe y-you could help him out."

"He would be good to try spike against; he's super tall! I'll try my best!"

"Thank you, Bokuto! Now go w-warm-up before your coach tells you off!"

"See you in a few minutes!" Bokuto ran off, waving as he went.

\--

Yuki stood beside Keishin and Takeda as Fukorodani and Karasuno stood opposite each other on the court, the first match of the week was about to begin. Yuki's body did not stop bouncing up and down, and as the whistle blew, Keishin's hand landed on her shoulder, stopping the jittering. He gave her a look, that told her, 'relax', her cheeks grew slightly pink, and she nodded as he removed his hand.

Her eyes focused back on the ball that was served. Yú received it with ease - as expected - and as the ball landed straight in Kageyama's hands. Yuki leaned forward slightly, seeing Hinata starting his run, it would be the first time they would try their new quick. She held her breath as Kageyama launched it behind him, but the ball was too short, nowhere near Hinata. Both the ball and Hinata touched the floor, and a spike was never attempted. Yuki sat back in her seat. It would have been a miracle for them to have done it first time.

"Unlucky K-Kageyama!" Yuki called out to everyone's surprise. "You'll g-get the n-next one!" She grinned and gave a thumbs up to him. Even though her stutter had gotten a lot better over the last few months, speaking loudly to many people, especially people she did not know, her stutter still was a pain. However, if she continued doing it, she was sure, eventually, one day, she would be able to call out to her team with no stutter.

The match continued, and Yuki had not stopped grinning, watching as her team loss point after point, but she watched them get frustrated, and all that meant to her was that they were going to work harder and harder to get better. Another ball was sent into Kageyama's hands, Hinata started his run, it was time for another chance at their new quick.

Yuki cringed slightly as she immediately saw the power on the ball, it was going to go too far - which it did - straight past Hinata, she was ready to call out more words of encouragement, but Hinata did something no one expected. He switched to his left arm mid-air, pulling himself down to reach the falling ball. Yuki's eyes widened as she watched him transform into her eighteen - year - old self at nationals, going for the last ball to win the game for the team.

"HINATA!" She screamed, her voice shrill, and it silenced the whole gym. She sounded like a mum who was trying to stop her kid from running into a busy road. Her face was pale, her eyes wide, her bottom lip shaking as she stared at Hinata, who was now sitting on the floor, staring at Yuki confused - wondering what he had done wrong. Her eyes glanced to the ball that was on the other side of the net, - he saved it and got his team a point. She gulped nervously, "g-g-good job..." she tried to play it off, forcing her hand up and giving a thumbs up. But everyone stayed frozen; her yell had sent shivers down everyone's spine. She tried to control her breathing that had become quick and short as she met different people's eyes, but then she was met with red. She glanced up to see Keishin standing in front of her.

"Go outside, get some air." He said.

"I-I'm f-fine, I d-"

"Go outside. I'll be there in a second."

Yuki realised it was not a suggestion, but an order. She nodded as the whistle blew, slowly making her way to the exit gym doors and outside. She knew many eyes were on her as she walked out, but she tried to ignore them and clear her mind.

The cold wind blew against her hot skin, she breathed deeply, calming herself down. And just as he said, Keishin came outside only a few seconds later, water bottle in hand.

"Here, drink." She said nothing and took the bottle from him. She paused for a moment before taking a swing of the water, instantly feeling better, her body craving it, calming her jittery nerves. Her breathing was still heavy as she pulled the bottle away from her lips, staring out at the small green hill that was in front of her. Suddenly, Keishin placed the back of his hand to her forehead and then to her cheek. "At least you have some colour coming back to your face."

Yuki avoided his eyes, but she could see the stern expression on his face. 

"Do you want to talk about it? You don't have to, but I want you to know I'm here."

Yuki swallowed hard, still not meeting his eyes. "When Hinata saved the b-ball, he pulled back to hit it...I saw myself, at n-nationals, just before the accident." Keishin's face dropped; he had not expected that to be the reason. Instinctively, he stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her and pulled her in close. "I was scared Hinata w-was going to get hurt like I did..." she mumbled into his chest, her hand now gripping onto his shirt as she tried to get rid of the horrible thought. He held her closer. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"There's always s-something wrong...I'm always crying o-or panicking-"

"Shut up. Don't say shit like that. You have every right to feel how you feel, what you went through...it's hard to recover from." He pulled away from the hug and placed a hand on her cheek, forcing her to meet his eyes. "You are far stronger than anyone else in that hall. All I care about is that you keep going, stay safe, and never give up."

Yuki's cheeks grew red, biting on her lip as she tried to hold down her smile.

"What would I do without you?"

"Not much, probably," he sassed back, making her laugh loudly. Keishin watched her, admiring how beautiful she looked when she laughed. He wanted to kiss her, it was the perfect time, but he held himself back - again. They needed to get back to the team. "Come on; lets' get back inside before they start to worry." Yuki agreed, and the two walked back into the gym.

The boys were grabbing a drink as a timeout were called, all eyes on them as they approached them.

"How are you feeling?" Yú asked.

"Good," Yuki smiled. "Just did not d-drink enough, got a bit too hot and flustered." No one believed her, but no one asked anything else as now she looked fine. The smile was genuine, and her cheeks rosy. They trusted that Ukai had made sure she was okay.

The timeout finished, and everyone made their way back to the court. Yuki caught Bokuto's eyes, he looked sad, his hair frowning like his lips. She giggled slightly before making her smile broad and showing him two thumbs up. Instantly, his eyes lit up, and he shot up with excitement, her heart was touched to know he was worried about her.

The match started up, and it was a rather tragic showing. Nothing worked, Asashi's serve hit the net, but she called out her encouragement, the jump serve came with experience. The synchronise attack was a complete failure, and Yuki had to hold back a laugh at everyone's expression to the attempt. Finally, Yú attempted his Libero set, which also failed; it was strange for Yuki to see her little brother be so quiet, embarrassed by what had happened. But none of it bothered her; she was happy that everyone attempted what they had been practising over the last two weeks. No one could not learn unless they failed first.

The match came to an end. Fukurodani won by twelve points. The punishment for the week was running up and down the steep grassy hill just outside the gym. The boys started changing into a pair of outside trainers. Yuki did too.

"What are you doing?" Hinata asked her.

"Joining you. I'm p-part of the team as well, I think we-" she looked to Keishin - "should a-all do the punishment."

Keishin laughed. "Not happening."

"Fine," she walked outside, standing beside the team, "guess I'm just the b-better coach." She gave a cheeky wink before turning around and sprinting up the hill taking everyone by surprise. Kageyama and Hinata were quick just after, not wanting to lose to her; the rest of the team glanced at each other before also sprinting off.


	28. 3 v 3

The next few days at the training camp were rather tragic. Karasuno had lost 96% of their games so far, only winning a few because of the other team's mistakes. It got to the point where even Yuki was tired with how much she had run up and down the steep grassy hill outside the gym. She could not imagine how the team were feeling, so she tried her best to give words of encouragement where she could.

  
Nonetheless, losing or not, she was enjoying her time at the camp. Each night she would go out with Keishin, Takeda, Coach Nekoma and a few others to chill and get some drinks - though she had decided it was best for her not to drink after last time. She enjoyed the company and it was nice to socialise with different people, slowly,but surely her stutter was becoming less frequent.

  
On the second day, during a break of playing matches, watermelon was brought out by the managers of each team and Yuki ended up talking with some of the Karasuno team.

  
"YUKI!" Bokuto ran over to her, accompanied by Akaashi and another boy she was yet to meet.

  
"Hello!" She grinned, "you feeling t-tired today?"

  
Boktuo's head tilted to the side; his eyebrows scrunched together. "Tired? No, why would I be tired?"

  
"Oh, just thought your s-spikes were a bit weak today," she shrugged her shoulders, taking another bite out of the watermelon.

  
"WHAT?" his jaw dropped, and his head whipped to Akaashi, "ARE THEY?"

  
"I'm joking," Yuki laughed, the other boy Yuki did not know chuckled loudly as well. "You did great, l-like always."

  
Bokuto's jaw still hung open. "I did good, right?" he was still waiting for Akaashi's approval.

  
"Yes, you did." Bokuto then grinned and took a seat beside Yuki on the grass.

  
"Anyway, Kuroo wanted to apologise." Yuki raised an eyebrow and looked to the tall boy in front of him, his hair dark and styled like the top of a rooster head; she assumed he was Kuroo.

  
"Apologise?"  
"Yeah, we were able to get glasses to block some of Bokuto's spikes-"

  
"NO WAY! DID YOU A-ACTUALLY?"

  
"It took some convincing but yeah."

  
"Then why apologise? T-that's amazing! I didn't think he'd ever do a-anything outside of mandatory training!"

  
"Uh- well, I might have pissed him off in the end." She raised an eyebrow.

  
"How?"

  
"I provoked him and said he was going to lose to your shrimp over there," Kuroo nodded towards Hinata who was eating his watermelon with different players far off to the right.

  
"And Tsukishima got annoyed by that?"

  
Kuroo shrugged. "Seemed it."

  
"Mhm, well, either way, I appreciate y-you helping him out," she stood and brushed off her trousers. "Thank you Bokuto, Akaashi and Kuroo. Hopefully, it somewhat pushes h-him to be better." She gave a final bow before walking off.

  
On the third day though, there was a slight change to Tsukishima, it was not an obvious one, but when Karasuno were playing against Fukurodani, Bokuto ran away from a spike that Tsukishima was blocking. She was unsure what was different, but it must have been something for Boktuo to change his spike to a feint to avoid the block purposely.

  
"You saw t-that too, right?" She leaned over to Keishin to ask.

  
"Yeah..."

  
On the fourth day, Yuki stood with her arms folded beside Keishin like she had done the last few days, and she was struggling to keep track of the match. The weather was getting hotter and hotter; even in a light white top and a pair of shorts- shorts she was sweating without even moving. She could not imagine how the team were feeling, but she could tell they were starting to struggle, getting tired quicker and quicker.

  
They were playing against Nekoma. Yuki had talked to a few of them in the last few days; apparently, they were Karasuno's rivals, especially when Old Coach Ukai was in charge. Though, no matter how hard she tried, Yuki could not resurface any memories about them.

  
Karasuno was struggling against them, and a specific silver-haired boy called Lev on Nekoma's team was causing Karasuno problems. He was extremely tall, and even with his obvious lack of volleyball experience, he was making Karasuno run around like they were amateurs.  
The main thing Yuki did notice was how agitated Hinata was becoming. He lost a joust against Lev, and she saw the disappointment on his face as he tried to catch his breath. It was hard, for everyone to continuously lose, she gave the boys credit for still trying 100% at every match despite knowing they were probably going to lose. But it was normal for them to start doubting themselves. They have been putting tons of extra hours into practice, and it did not feel like they were improving much, from hindsight, they were improving, but as a player, it probably did not feel like it.

  
Yuki did not say anything; she knew no matter what she said, it would not cool him off. He needed to have a successful spike, one that made a difference, the new quick attack had to work, and even Yuki felt herself become anxious as the ball landed in Kageyama's hands. He set it for Hinata, but it was different, she barely noticed but the set was not the one they had been practising, it was a set for the old quick. Hinata was able to hit the ball over the net and get Karasuno a point, but it was clear he was unhappy.

  
"HEY!" Hinata yelled in Kageyama's face, taking everyone by surprise. "You held back, didn't you?!"

  
"Held...back?" Kageyama answered. "Me? With Volleyball?" His arm reached forward and grabbed Hinata's shirt. "Say that again."

  
"Call a timeout," Yuki said as she started to walk over to the first-year boys. Takeda did as she asked.

  
"That wasn't the falling toss," Hinata replied to Kageyama, who loosened his grip on him. Yuki was surprised Hinata even noticed. "Don't stop it, Kageyama!" She grabbed the angry orange hair boy by the back of his shirt and dragged him away from everyone else; no one tried to stop her, seeing how serious she was. She yanked him, so he stood in front of her.

"Calm down," she told him. "There's no r-reason for you to get angry at him-"

  
"It wasn't the falling toss!" He yelled, trying to walk past her, but she grabbed him again, firmly forcing him to stop.

  
"I know!" Her sudden rise of voice made him stop fighting against her. "You haven't hit a good s-spike for a while now, I don't think he did it on p-purpose, in fact, I'm sure it was subconscious, but he did a set he knew you were going to hit! He saw you were getting a-agitated, he just wanted you to get a good spike. There's no r-reason to be angry. You need to calm down before I tell Ukai to pull you off the court." Hinata relaxed his muscles, though she could tell from his heavy breathing he was still furious.

  
The match continued, and Hinata had quieted down, only a little bit, but it was enough to ease everyone's nerves.

  
"Good job on calming him down," Keishin told her.

  
Everyone welcomed the evening, the heat was becoming unbearable through the afternoon, but at night it was pleasant. The boys stayed back to practise more as Yuki walked with Keishin to the exit doors. It would be the same as the last few nights; they get changed, Keishin was usually ready first and would wait for outside her room before they walked off together to meet the rest of the coaches. 

  
Sometimes she felt a little odd out, she was by far the youngest out of all the coaches, Keishin was the closest to her age, but even he had four years on her. He sensed it though, and always ensured he sat nearest to her. He drank a few drinks each night, and she loved it, his cheeks always became red, and he smiled a lot more. Only on the second night did she give him another kiss on the cheek before heading to bed, she often thought about doing more, kissing him on his lips one day, but there was always the reminder at the back on her head.   
_'He just sees you as a friend'._

  
"SHIT!" Yuki suddenly yelled.

  
Keishin jumped out of his skin at her sudden outburst. "What?!"

  
"I f-forgot my jumper in the hall," she groaned.

  
"You had to scare the shit out of me cause of your jumper?"

  
"Sorry," she laughed. "I'll meet you a-after." She started to jog back.

  
"Want me to wait?" 

  
"No, don't be s-silly. I'll meet you with the other coaches!"

  
Keishin agreed and made his way back to his room as she continued towards the gym. She slowed down as she arrived, walking inside to see Kageyama with Yachi practising his float tosses again.

  
"No Hinata?" Yuki asked as she picked up her jumper.

  
"No, I think practising by myself will be better right now," he bluntly answered.

  
"Everything okay between you two?"

  
"Yeah."

  
Yuki did not believe him but did not push for an answer. "Okay, h-have a goodnight, but don't over push yourself." She left and started making her way back to her room, she walked past all the other gyms, having a sneaky glance inside to see what everyone was doing, and she was happy to see all of Karasuno working on something. Even Tsukishima.

  
"YUKI!" Bokuto shouted, spotting her looking in. "You coming to watch me be the best?"

  
"I've seen enough during t-the day to know you're the best Bokuto." His face lit up, and his chest puffed out proudly at her comment.

  
"COACH WE NEED ONE MORE FOR A 3 V 3 WILL YOU COME PLAY? I'VE TOLD THEM HOW AWESOME YOU ARE!" Hinata yelled.

  
"Uh-" Yuki's hand reach to the back of her neck. "I don't know if t-that's such a good idea."

  
"I think you're gonna have to; otherwise you'll break the little shrimp's heart," Kuroo added, she looked to Hinata whose eyes were large, silently begging for her to say yes, "oh, and he wants you too as well." Kuroo pointed to Bokuto whose eyes were just as large.

  
"Fine," Yuki gave in, causing the two boys to cheer, "but not f-for long!"

  
The teams were Hinata, Bokuto and Akaashi vs Kuroo, Tsukishima and Yuki.

  
"Um...isn't this just a bit unbalanced?" Akaashi pointed out, and Yuki agreed, it did seem a little unfair. Kuroo and Tuskki were the tallest out of the six, and even Yuki was taller than Hinata.

  
"It's fine!" Kuroo said.

  
Yuki could not help but see it as a great coaching opportunity; she could see how Hinata and Tsukki matched up against each other.  
The match started, and it was rather - _interesting_. Akaashi and Bokuto were extremely in sync at all times, and it was hard to ever stop them from getting the point. She spent the first few points sitting back and watching; she was not as skilled as she used to be; her knowledge would be her main strength.

  
Yuki could not help but appreciate Kuroo, he was giving great tips to Tsukishima, and she was happy he took them all on board. She watched as Akaashi set the ball for Hinata, he jumped and spiked, but Tsukki easily blocked it. Yuki chuckled as Hinata yelled.

  
"Yuki, your serve," Kuroo said as he threw the ball to her. She stood at the end of the court and smirked. Without another word, she threw the ball into the air, one - step, two-step, three-step. JUMP. The ball hit the other side of the court before anyone could move; everyone's jaws dropped.

  
"You didn't think I would go easy on you cause you're a bunch of high schoolers, right?" she cocked her hand on her hip.

  
"SHE'S SO AWESOME!" Bokuto and Hinata said simultaneously, eyes wide in awe.

  
The match continued, and it was pretty back and forth, the points were neck and neck for most of it. Yuki stood near the net as she watched the ball. Akaashi set it, she was quick to run to the left side of the court with Tsukki and jumped as Bokuto went to spike, she was adamant he was going for a line shot and blocked his pathing, but last second changed his spike to a cross-shot, scoring his team a point.

  
"HEY! HEY! HEY!" He yelled. "They don't say I'm a Top Five Ace for no reason!"

  
Yuki could not lie; she was impressed.

  
Hinata served, and it was an easy receive for Tsukki to Kuroo. Yuki had not done a proper spike yet, choosing to do more sets and defence, but she thought it was time to join in with the fun a little more.

  
"OVER HERE!" She yelled, running up to the net, Hinata, Bokuto and Akaashi all jumped for the block.

  
"Come on a triple block?" Kuroo said, but Yuki did not mind. She watched the ball, and glanced down, at the very edge, on Akaashi's pinkie, a spotlight appeared. It was not an easy shot, but she trusted she could do it. Her left hand shot forward, and just before she touched the ball, her hand twisted, hitting the side of it and sending it flying across the court, nearly touching the net.

  
"It's out of bounds!" Hinata yelled, but Yuki did not move.

  
"No," Akaashi said, staring down at his hand. "the ball hit my pinkie...they get the point."

  
Everyone's eyes widened.

  
"You may be Top Five Ace, but I use to be Top Three," she winked to Bokuto who looked like he was on the verge of melting.

  
"NO WAY YOU USE TO BE A TOP THREE ACE?" Hinata yelled.

  
"You've got to be kidding me," Tsukki said, "you don't know?" he sounded almost angry.

  
"Know what?"

  
"YOU DON'T KNOW?" Bokuto yelled. Hinata's head cocked to the side, confused.

  
"She won National a few years ago with Karasuno," Kuroo said. "How do you not know that?"

  
Hinata's jaw dropped. "NO WAY!"

  
Yuki chuckled awkwardly. "I-I guess we've never s-spoken about it before, but I-I just assumed everyone knew."

  
"There's literally a whole section about her in the trophy case at the school," Tsukki said. "I don't understand how you're so stupid."

  
"Too zoned it on the Tiny Giant to realise you had a better one coaching you the whole time," Kuroo said.

  
"I wouldn't s-say I was better-"

  
"YES, YOU WERE!" Bokuto interrupted. "THEY USE TO CALL YOU THE GIRL WHO COULD FLY!"

  
"Wait, so what happened? Why are you coaching and not playing on a team? Did you not want too?" Hinata asked. The room grew silent.

  
"Hey, if you don't wrap up soon, the cafeteria will close, and you won't get any dinner!" Two girls walked into the gym and said, and Yuki silently thanked whoever was looking out for her at that moment in time.

  
"Oh s-shit, I forgot about Keishin! I've got to go, t-thanks for the match!" Yuki sprinted off out of the gym, ensuring to grab her jumper before anyone could say anything. The cool wind felt nice on her hot skin. Her face was almost dripping with sweat as she sprinted down one of the paths.

  
"Keishin!" She yelled, seeing him walking towards her, she assumed he had gone looking for her.

  
"Are you okay? What happened?" He asked.

  
"I'm so sorry, I-I got distracted, some of the boys asked me to be the sixth for their 3 v 3, a-and then I lost track of time-"

  
"You played? With who?" Yuki had not realised the aggression in his voice.

  
"Hinata, Tsukishima and s-some of the other boys, Bokuto and-"

  
"Why would you do that?" Yuki finally sensed the anger coming from him. Her energy flattened as she cowered under his stare. They had spent many hours together in the last few months but not once had she seen this side to him.

  
"I-I -" she did not know what to say. "I-I'm sorry, I got sidetracked a-and lost t-track of time..." she mumbled, feeling uneasy under his glare. The last thing she ever wanted was to upset him.

  
"I'm not upset that you're late!" He told her, his hands flying as he spoke.

  
"What? I d-don't u-understand..."

  
"What would have happened if a ball hit your head, Yuki? What happened if you passed out? What happened if you needed to go to the hospital? They don't know anything; they're kids, you could die! Why don't you take it seriously? We had a deal. I will support you to play, but only if you do it safely. You wear the protective cap, and everyone around knows about your condition!" Keishin shook his head angrily and leaned on the fence that was in front of him, head in hands.

  
Yuki's mouth hung open. Her lip wobbled as she tried to find the right words to say. She shuffled on the spot, and her hands fiddled with the jumper that was in her hand. "I-I didn't think about it..." it stayed silent between the two of them. She swallowed as she tried to fight down the tears that were threatening to fall. "I'm sure if something happens y-you could find a new coach easily." Keishin slowly raised his head from his hands.

  
"What?"

  
"And for the s-store. I'm not that good of a worker anyway. Could e-easily find someone more useful."

  
His mouth was slightly ajar as he processed her words. "I know you're not that stupid. You think that's why I'm so worked up about all of this? That I'm worried that I won't find another coach or fucking store assistant?"

  
"I dunno..."

  
"What the fuck am I meant to do if you're gone Yuki? I don't give a shit about your coaching abilities or how well you stock some stupid shelves, what about after work? What about the time we spent together playing volleyball? Going out to eat? You think someone can replace you with that as well?"

  
"I-I..." she was speechless.

  
"You're not someone who can just be replaced into my life. I don't want anyone else, do you not get that?"

  
Yuki's eyebrows knitted together at the realisation, "you like me..." it was more of a statement than a question.

  
"Yes, of course I do! You think I just enjoy your company and drive you around 24/7 because we're friends? I'm not that nice of a guy!"

  
Her jaw hung open as she tried to wrap her head around his words. "B-But, you told your mum you just s-saw me as a friend. I heard you talking in the store."

  
Keishin looked as though he was ready to facepalm. "It's my mum Yuki if I told her I liked you she would never stop bugging you. I was worried she would scare you away if I told her the truth!"

  
Yuki's corner of her lip twitched upwards; she could not believe it, the whole time, he had liked her back. She had stopped herself multiple times from making a move because she thought he saw her as nothing more than a friend. She wanted to laugh, she felt so stupid, but she held it back as she looked at Keishin. His hands were on the fence to her left, his head hanging low, even in the darkness, she could see his rosy cheeks. His breathing was heavy. He was trying to calm himself down.

  
"Kiss me," she said suddenly.

  
"What?"

  
"Kiss me."

Keishin did not need to hear it again as he walked over to her. His hands grabbed her face as he connected their lips. Yuki's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes shut as she dropped her jumper to the floor. At first, she was frozen. He was kissing her. They were kissing. He tried to pull away, but Yuki's hands shot up, reaching the back of his neck, her hand ran through his hair, stopping him from pulling further away. She pushed to her tiptoes to close the small gap that had formed.

  
Her lips parted as the kiss became deeper; she could taste the aftereffect of the cigarette he had smoked just before. The taste was not pleasant, but it reminded her of him, and that was all she cared about. Their lips moved in sync, her grip on his hair tightened, and she pushed further onto her tiptoes, craving more, making the kiss harder, deeper. She smiled into the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist and a small squeak escaped her mouth as he lifted her up. His breath tickled her swollen lips as he let out a small laugh as he placed her down so she was sitting on the fence.

  
Neither opened their eyes as he gently rubbed his nose against hers. Yuki placed her hands on his face and rested her forehead against his. Both breathed heavily, taking in the oxygen that their body was suddenly deprived of only a moment ago.

  
"You don't know how long I've wanted to do that for," Keishin murmured, giving her another quick peck.

  
"You don't know how long I've wanted you to do that..." she chuckled lightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that chapter ;)
> 
> Hopefully, it was worth the wait XD


	29. Arcade

"Let's go somewhere," Yuki said.

"Where do you wanna go?" Keishin replied, staring at her with a slight smile.

"Anywhere, just me and y-you, let's just drive and see if we find anything."

"Okay, but we can't be back too late, we still got to be up early."

Yuki had a very quick shower and got changed into something more suitable, even if it was the evening, it was still very warm. The two were in the car, driving around Toyko. Most of the journey had been quiet; both filled with new, different kind of nerves. Good nerves, the type that filled their stomach with butterflies and made them blush every time they caught each other's glance.

Yuki turned up the music and started bopping her head and singing the lyrics. She rolled down the window and watched as they drove past many buildings and restaurants. As they came to a traffic light, Keishin took the chance to look at her. He looked down at her hand, he wanted to reach over and grab it, but another part of him was holding back. He did not understand what was holding him back; he felt, _nervous_. He had been with other girls before, but he had never felt so hesitant around someone before. He looked up and met her eyes; she gave a large grin before looking back outside, he felt his stomach flip.

"Are you looking for anything specific?" he asked after another few minutes of driving.

"Dunno, just something f-fun,"

"Fun?"

"Yeah, like - OH AN ARCADE!" She suddenly yelled, pointing in the direction of the large sign that read 'Bowling' and underneath the word 'Arcade'.

"The arcade?"

"Yeah, I-I have memories of it as a kid, but haven't been since." She did not need to say since when, both knowing she meant since the accident.

"Sure," he turned the steering and made his way towards it.

She was grinning from ear to ear until she realised, "wait, no, s-sorry, we don't have to go there; let's go somewhere else." Keishin was not one who enjoyed loud places, and it was selfish of her to make him go there.

"Why?"

"I want you t-to enjoy it too." She looked away, feeling a blush coming to her cheeks.

"Hey," he reached over and grabbed her hand, "as long as I'm with you, I don't care where we go." Her shoulders raised, like her body tense up all at once, before releasing and showing a grin, not minding that he would see her cheeks go red.

Yuki was like a child on Christmas as he parked the car, the parking lot was empty which meant the Arcade would be empty too. The Arcade was in a bowling area that also sold food. She was a few steps in front, unable to keep herself from simply walking. The night air was relaxing; the weather was perfect.

Her eyes widened in awe as they entered the building. It was dark, but the flashing lights from the machines made it seem like they were at a disco. She glanced to Keishin, her smile not faltering as she waited for him to stand by her.

"Well, what do you want to do first?" he asked.

"You pick first, seems r-right as I dragged you here."

"You didn't drag me here."

"I kinda did."

"I told you, I don't mind. I want to spend time with you."

Yuki looked down and fiddled with her fingers. "Well, I-I still would like you to pick first."

"Come on then," he reached over and took her hand into his, intertwining their fingers and walking forward, pulling her along. She glanced up and saw a glimpse of his smile before he looked forward. She followed but tried to calm herself, feeling her cheeks becoming red. She looked down at their hands and couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"I remember playing this as a kid," he said as they approached an old school style arcade machine. It was tall, a screen in the middle and in front sat a joystick-style set of controls. She glanced up and read the game, ' _Street Fighter'._

"How do you play?" she asked.

"You pick a character, and then you use these buttons," he pressed three colours buttons, red, blue and yellow, "to attack and this," he moved the joystick with his other hand, "to move. You can only move back and forward though."

"Oh, that sounds c-cool. Who you gonna pick?" She stared at the screen as the game loaded up. There were at least twenty different characters to pick from.

"I always picked this guy-"

 _"Date Tessai!_ " The game announced as Keishin clicked the green button. Yuki's head tilted to the side as she looked at his character. He was buff, with blonde spiky hair and earrings in one ear. She chuckled at a thought.

"What?" he asked, confused by her sudden laughter.

"Nothing," she answered hand over her mouth, trying to suppress her giggles.

"What?"

"Did you dye your h-hair and get piercings cause of him?"

"WHAT? Pfft, no, he's just got a super cool power move," he answered, his cheeks suddenly becoming red.

"Okay, okay, I b-believe you-" she did not, "show me his _super cool power move._ "

Yuki watched him play, her eyes glued to the screen as he easily beat his opponent. Keishin smugly smiled as ' _K.O'_ appeared on the screen, Date Tessai dancing beside the words as he celebrated his victory.

"Not going to copy his dance as well?" Yuki laughed.

"Ha, ha," he answered, unimpressed by her words, "you're so funny."

Yuki grinned and then ducked under his arm, standing in front of him, her body in between him and the machine, his arms either side of her. "Will you h-help me play?" she asked.

"Uh-" the unexpected move took him off guard, a sweatdrop slid down the side of his face. "Y-yeah, it's pretty easy." He moved his hand and placed them on top of hers which were already holding the joystick and hovering over the buttons. "What character do you want to play as?"

Yuki stayed calm at his touch; his breath was hot on the left side of her neck as he spoke. "Mhm, I want to play s-someone that looks like me - I mean, s-someone who has a _super cool_ power move," she teased.

"Do you want me to help you or not?" his statement was serious, but she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Yes, sorry," she giggled.

"Okay," his hand that clasped her's over the joystick moved, going through the different characters. "What about her? Her super move involves doing a super jump and smashing down to the floor."

"Oooh, that s-sounds cool! Let's pick her!" Keishin pushed down, making her finger press down on the green button.

 _"Chigusa Nara!"_ The machine yelled.

"Okay so, red is attack, blue is jump and yellow defend." Yuki nodded as the game started up, "and remember, use this to go back and forth," he moved the joystick, "and to do the super move, you have to wait for this green bar to fill up," he pointed to the top right-hand corner of the screen, "and then you press red and blue at the same time."

"Okay..." He let go of her hands, but decided not to move from behind her; he could easily see the screen over her.

Yuki tried her best not to react as she felt his hands land on her waist. Her heart skipped a beat, and she did not bother trying to stop her cheeks from going red - not that he could see anyway, his eyes always glued to the game screen. She subconsciously leaned forward, her tongue slightly sticking out as she focused on fighting her opponent.

"SUPER MOVE! QUICK!" Keishin yelled from behind as he helped her, calling out different moves to help her win. She pressed red and blue; her character flew into the air and came back down in an instant. _'K.O'_ appeared on the screen as she was victorious.

"YES!" She turned around and raised both her hands; he lifted his and completed the high fives. His hands stayed on hers, his fingers slipping in between hers. Their bodies were close to touching, both staring at each other grinning.

"Good job, babe," he said, her eyes widened as she tried not to squirm, her lower abdomen erupting with butterflies at the nickname. She could tell from his reaction; he had not meant to say it, it had slipped out.

"Want to try f-fight against each other? Winner buys food."

"That doesn't seem fair; you've only played once."

"I don't mind. It'll be fun."

"Okay, but I'll buy food either way."

Yuki's hand reached to her chest where her heart would be, "why are you so sure y-you'll win!" she pretended to be offended. Keishin chuckled and held his hands up.

"True, you could get beginners luck."

Keishin's jaw hung open as the word's _'K.O'_ appeared on the screen, Chigusa Nara dancing beside it.

"I guess b-beginners luck?" Yuki said innocently, her hands out as she shrugged. "I guess you are buying food," she laughed as he did not move. "Come on," she grabbed his hand and dragged him to the next game.

The following hour had become a series of competitions between Keishin and Yuki and turned out she had quite a talent for gaming. After Street Fighter, Yuki picked 'Hoop Fever' a game where one had to throw basketballs into a hoop, and every ball you got in was a point. The score ending 32 - 29 to Yuki.

Keishin, being the competitive man that he was decided the next game after that was ' _Fury_ ' a racing game where the main control of the game was an actual steering wheel.

"I'm assuming, as you can't drive, I might actually win this one," he said as they took their seats.

Yuki won all four races they played, Keishin always just behind her ending in second place. She stood as the last race finished and laughed, seeing his bewildered expression. She leaned over and pressed a soft kiss on his cheek.

"You're cute," she said, before walking off to find another game to play. He watched her walk away, smirking as he felt the lingering feeling of her lips on his cheek. He wanted to grab her and kiss her again, he thought about the kiss from earlier all evening, wanting to feel her lips against his again, but he could never find the right moment, but he knew before the night ended he would give her another one.

"Let's do this," Yuki said, walking over to the Dance Dance Revolution machine. A cartoon figure was on the screen, dancing to the music which blared from it as they approached.

"Dancing..." he groaned.

"Come on; it'll be fun!" She stepped onto the machine, standing in the middle on the four interactive arrows that laid on the floor. "Now you can dance l-like Date Tessai!"

"You're never letting me live that down are you?"

"Nope!" she grinned, staring up the game. Keishin sighed but stood beside Yuki on his part of the machine.

Yuki legs were bouncing with the beat as the song started. Keishin took the opportunity to watch her before the arrows starting falling down. Her smile was large, and he could see the excitement in her eyes as she watched the screen eagerly. He loved her smile; it made him feel some sort of way; it's the first thing he thought about when he fell asleep and woke up. It was contagious, and every time he saw it or thought about it, no matter what mood he was in, he would feel better.

The arrows starting falling, and both started moving their feet to tap the arrows that matched the ones on the screen. Keishin was not as bouncy as Yuki was, but he was hitting every beat with ease. Halfway through the song, Yuki's eyes glanced to her score. She was on 2301 points, but he was on 2782. Her eyes widened.

"Wait, you're beating me!" she laughed.

"Why do you sound so surprised? Didn't think I had rhythm?" he teased.

"I-I," she let out another laugh, speechless that when she looked over, he was not the stiff, awkward dancer she assumed he was. In fact, he really was better than her. She reached over and lightly pushed him, making him slightly lose balance and miss an arrow. "Sorry, I slipped," she laughed.

"Oh, did you?"

"Yep," she moved her foot and stepped on one of his wrong arrows, making him lose more points. "sorry l-lost balance again!"

Keishin raised an eyebrow to her, seeing her trying to hold down her laughs. "Oops, I lost balance too," he answered, leaning down and swiftly picking her up over his shoulder. Yuki squealed as she suddenly found her face at his back.

"Nooooo!" she laughed loudly, unable to hold it in anymore. She tried to tell him to put her down while playfully hitting his back, but she could not stop laughing. He continued playing the game, easily winning. He turned around and placed her down, so she was sitting on the back tall handle of the machine.

Yuki calmed down, her loud chuckles becoming small giggles, though her cheeks were still bright red. He stood in between her legs as they met eyes.

"I guess I won one," he said softly.

"Finally, only t-took like an hour," she grinned.

Keishin brought his hand up to her cheek, feeling the heat of her cheeks on it. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. "You're beautiful," he mumbled. Her eyes opened; her smile became soft as she met his eyes. He leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. They separated just enough so their lips were no longer touching, but their noses rubbed against each other. "I want you, and only you." She could feel his hot breath on her lips.

"Good," her voice was just a quiet as his, "cause I'd be pretty sad if I saw you with someone else." They both breathed a laugh at her comment.

"I want to be able to call you mine."

"You can, because I am yours, I have been for a while now."

His eyes opened to meet hers. "Good," he planted another kiss on her lips. It was longer than the other one. Yuki was the first to open her mouth, signalling to him she craved more than a simple peck, he responded by matching her, but they kept it soft, nothing too fast or rough, but sweet, and intimate.

"Are you done using this?" Both pulled apart instantly, looking to their side to see a kid standing, chewing on a piece of gum, money in hand ready to play. Keishin and Yuki's eyes shot open, embarrassed.

The ride home from the arcade was peaceful, the weather was still perfect, and Yuki spent most of her time looking out of the window with the wind in her hair. Keishin finally reached over and took her hand into his as he drove, only letting go when he needed to change gear.

They walked hand in hand back to her room, trying their best to suppress their smiles and laughs as it was late, and everyone was asleep.

"Goodnight, I'll come meet you before we go to breakfast, okay?" Keishin said as he moved a piece of hair behind her ear.

"You don't have to meet me."

"But I want too." Yuki had to bite her lip to stop herself from smiling even more; her cheeks were starting to hurt.

"Okay, I'll s-see you in the morning." She reached up and placed a small peck on his lips before opening her door.

"Oh wait, before I forget." Yuki raised an eyebrow to him as he reached into his pocket. "When you went to the toilet, I went to see what we could get with the tickets we won...but we only had enough for the lowest pizes. But I found this," Keishin pulled out a keychain of a crow. "A little crow for my little crow," he grinned, pleased with himself.

Yuki's eyes lit up, and she took the keychain from him. It was adorable. "Thank you, it's so cute, I love it!" she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and snuggled her face into the crook of his neck. He tightly wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a small squeeze before placing a light kiss on her head.

"I'll see you in the morning," Once again she found herself growing red before of his nicknames for her. She waved goodbye before entering her room and shutting the door. She placed her back on it, grinning from ear to ear, and looking to the ceiling as to thank whoever it was up above. Keishin watched the door for a moment as it closed with a goofy smile. His hand balled into a fist and punched the air, celebrating to himself with a quick spin, but only for him to bang into a wooden stand with a vase on top. It fell and banged to the floor.

"Everything okay?" Yuki asked from the inside.

"Y-yeah, everything good," he picked up the vase from the floor, thankful it had not broken before walking down the hall, once again celebrating with a small jump unable to control his excitement.


	30. The Last Day

**_Knock Knock_ **

Yuki gave a final smile in the mirror before walking towards the door. She slept peacefully, a smile plastered on her face the whole night, her mind replaying scenes from the hours before. She even woke up before her alarm which was a first, and she found herself unsure of what to do for the first ten minutes. She usually would snooze all her alarms until she only had five minutes left to get ready. What did one do when they were not rushing around trying to get ready for the day?

Her eyebrows pulled together as she heard mumbling outside her door. Slowly, she turned the door nob and opened the door. Keishin did not realise, his back to her and hand on the wall.

"Hey, did ya have a good sleep?" he mumbled to himself, but then shook his head. "Good Morning, excited for the day," he shook his head again. Yuki crossed her arms, amused as she watched him. "How you doin'?" 

"I'm doing pretty good, how are you?" she finally answered, suppressing a laugh. Keishin jumped into the air, a small squeal escaping his lips as he turned to look at her, his cheeks bright red.

" _Ahem_ ," he cleared his throat, trying to regain his cool. "I'm good, good, perfect, you?" Yuki's head tilted to the side slightly. "Sorry, I already asked you, I-" She reached up and planted a gentle kiss on his lips, shutting him up. As she pulled away, his shoulder's relaxed.

"Want to go get some food? I'm s-starving."

He opened his eyes and nodded. "Yeah, food sounds good," even his voice lost the slight panic from before. Yuki grinned and grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers and dragging him down the corridor. Keishin's red cheeks faded as the two walked and talked. He had been overthinking all morning, and quickly came to realise that despite them being together, nothing really changed. Just now, when he was with her, he could kiss her when he wanted, he could wrap his arms around her and pull her in close. She was his, but sometimes that made him feel more nervous than usual.

"HEY, DAICHI!" Tanaka screamed as Keishin and Yuki entered the cafeteria. "YOU OWE ME 600!"

"What the hell w-was that about..." Yuki mumbled as she watched Tanaka sprint over to the table where some of the other Karausno boys sat. All of them stopped eating, mouth full of food as they looked up at their two coaches.

"I'm going to kill that kid," Keishin said.

"Did I miss something?" She looked up to him with worried eyes.

"No, let's just get some food." He walked forward, his expression slightly sour. She glanced around, once again catching the eyes of the Karasuno boys. A smirk played on her lips.

"Hey," she pulled at his hand, stopping him in place. "Not embarrassed cause of the b-boys are you?" she teased.

"W-what? No! Of course not, it's just, you know how they can be, they j-" Yuki placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.

"Who cares."

Yuki was the first to her seat, focusing purely on the bowl of food that was on her tray. She had not realised how hungry she was until her stomach rumbled when the smell hit her nose.

"Good morning," she said, taking a seat beside Takeda, whose food was already half-eaten.

"Good morning," he replied. Yuki turned her head to say something to Keishin, but he was not there. She looked up, confused, to see him a little further away standing beside Yú. They were talking, what about she was unsure. She starting eating but continued glancing their way. After a few minutes, Keishin ruffled his hair, and both went to their tables.

"What did you t-two talk about?" Yuki could not help but ask when he sat down beside her.

Keishin smiled softly and glanced back to Yú for a moment. "Nothing much, he's just being a good brother."

\--

The rest of the day went as it always did. Karasuno losing every match they played. But with each day they got stronger, and that was all that mattered. The only real difference that day was the tension between Yuki and Keishin. The two stood closer together than usual; his hand always seemed to brush against hers - they would still steal glances at each other, but unlike before where the other would look away worried to get caught, now they would wait for the other to look so that they would meet eyes.

"How's it looking?" Keishin asked, standing behind her, his head peeking over her shoulder, staring down at her notes, his left hand landing on her waist. Her eyes widened, and her cheeks reddened at slight pull so she would be closer to him.

"G-good," she answered, trying her best to keep her voice steady at his touch. It was still new to both of them, but every action was natural, even if sometimes it led to the other becoming bright red and nervous.

"Another day of losing," he sighed. "What we at now, sixty losses and three wins?" She nodded, and he surprisingly laughed beside her. "Got to give credit to them for still pushing through. At this point, they'd win more matches if they played like they did with Seijoh."

"But there'd be no p-point in that-"

"-because we lost."

"Right now, everyone is their o-own puzzle piece, but they can't seem to find where they fit in with the big picture." Keishin nodded, agreeing with her statement. "I'm going to go with s-some of the other boys today, the ones from yesterday-"

" _Yuki,_ " Keishin growled.

"Not to play," she turned so their bodies were touching, her hand touched the side of his face. "To help Hinata with his s-spikes. I'm just going to be there to coach. I know what I-I did yesterday was stupid. I need to be more careful." He relaxed at her words.

"I just don't want you to get hur-"

"I know." They smiled at each other for a moment.

"I'll stay back and try help Kageyama," he said.

"Okay, I'll be in gym three, come get me w-when you're done." She kissed him on the cheek, and as she started to walk away, he looked around to see everyone was doing their own thing, before grabbing her waist and pulling her back to him, turning her in the process so they were face to face again. She had no time to react when he planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"See you a bit," he winked before walking away. Yuki's body stiffened, like a bolt of electricity had just shot through her body. She bit down on her lip as she tried to hold down her giggle, she watched him walk away, feeling flustered for a few seconds, unable to control her movements, her lower abdomen exploding, making her squirm slightly.

"COACH NISHINOYA! ARE YOU COMING AGAIN TODAY?" Hinata ran up behind her, making her jump slightly.

"Oh - yeah, I'll be t-there in a minute."

"YES!" Hinata jumped into the air and cheered before running off. She gave a final glance at Keishin, who was talking with Kageyama. She found it amusing how sometimes he was so nervous, stumbling over his words and his cheeks bright red, but other times he was smooth and confident. If she was honest, she liked both sides. The nervousness she found cute, but his confidence made her weak at the knees.

Yuki forced herself to stop checking him out from afar and followed the small redhead to gym number three where Kuroo, Akaashi, Bokuto, Tsukki and another tallboy were already warming up.

"Yuki!" Bokuto called as he saw her. "Are you going to be playing again?"

Yuki shook her head, "No, I'm sorry, Bokuto, I'm just going to be watching and trying to help H-Hinata with his spikes." His face dropped, and hair drooped - she felt a ping of guilt hit her heart. "You h-have six anyway," she nodded towards the tall, grey-haired boy.

"We can kick him, just say the word and he's gone," Kuroo said, his tone serious. 

"No, no, I'm just here to w-watch."

After a few more attempts at getting her to play, they gave up, and the 3 v 3 started. Hinata, Bokuto and Akaashi vs Kuroo, Lev - the tall boy with grey hair - and Tsukki. Now, Yuki had to agree with Akaashi, the teams indeed were unfair. 

Not much happened, she simply sat back and watched the match between them, she was thoroughly entertained, Bokuto always looked over to her for her approvable, and she would always give a thumbs up - even Hinata started to do it.

She gave the small redhead some advice, but it was mainly Bokuto who was talking to him, showing him small tips and tricks. She was pleasantly surprised by how much volleyball knowledge Bokuto actually had, and it was nice he was sharing it.

"You guy's are playing dirty!" Bokuto yelled as a three-person block appeared as Hinata jumped for a spike. Internally Yuki cringed, even if she were in that situation she would struggle, there was only one real viable option, it would be to hit the ball-

"NO WAY!" Yuki yelled, jumping to her feet as Hinata hit the ball up, launching it off Lev's fingertips and out of bounds, getting his team the point. "Did you do that o-on purpose?"

"Oh. Well, I did aim for Lev's fingertips," Hinata answered, Yuki's jaw dropped. "It was sheer luck that it hit. I can't hit that accurately-"

Bokuto placed a hand on Hinata's head and one under his jaw, shutting him up. "You were covered by three blockers, each around 190cm tall! Not to mention that terrible toss! Well done! I'm moved!" Bokuto told him. Yuki grinned and folded her arms, impressed by what she had seen. If Hinata continued growing and working as hard as he was, he would surpass the Tiny Giant in no time.

"Yuki, you ready?" Yuki's head whipped around to see Keishin standing at the door. She grinned and turned back to the boys, already running to get her stuff.

"I'm off. I'll see you g-guys tomorrow! Make sure you don't stay too long and get enough rest!"

"Bye!" They said in unison and watched as she ran out, looking up to the blonde Karasuno coach and taking his hand into her own.

"WAIT, ARE THEY DATING?" Bokuto yelled at the realisation.

"Took you long enough to figure out," Akaashi commented.

"Wait, dating?" Hinata's head tilted to the side.

"Of course you don't know," Kuroo laughed, hand slapping his back before returning to the court. "COME ON STOP STARING!"

\--

"How did it go with Kageyama?" Yuki asked as the two walked down one of the concrete paths.

"I don't know," he admitted, his free hand scratching the back of his neck. "It's a hard thing to ask, but if he doesn't get it right, I don't know what we are going to do." She could see the stress in his face.

"Hey," she stopped walking, making them both stop, she turned and made him look at her. "it's going to be okay. Karasuno are g-getting stronger and stronger each day. At first, our offence was based solely around that freak q-quick. But now? Everyone is working hard. Asahi and his serves, the synchronised attack, even Yú, a _Libero_ , is working on setting. The f-freak quick will work, eventually, but even if it doesn't right now, it's okay. The puzzle pieces are going to come together, and when they do, Seijoh and Shiratorizawa won't know what's going to hit them."

"I don't know whose metaphor's are worse, yours or Takeda's," Keishin laughed.

"HUH? RUDE!" She tried not to laugh as she playfully punched his arm. "How dare you compare Takeda to me? He's a literature teacher!" Both laughed loudly as they contuied walking. "Oh, I-I nearly forgot to tell you," she started after both had calmed down.

"What?"

"You'll never guess what Hinata did!"

\--

It was the last day of the training camp. The morning just like the previous, Keishin met Yuki, and they had breakfast together. Matches were no different, Karasuno losing each one, but the scores were far closer than they were at the beginning of the week.

"Should I say something," Yuki muttered, seeing Yú, Tanaka, Kageyama and Hinata's defeated looks as they lost another game. Before Keishin could answer, their mood did a 180; suddenly they were dancing, with stupid grins on their faces.

"Did you not tell them about the barbecue?" Keishin asked Takeda.

"BARBECUE?" Yuki yelled, turning to face him wide eyes.

"Uh - yeah...did you not know?" Suddenly, Yuki was with the other Karasuno boys, dancing with them as they sang about their love for meat. Keishin was speechless as he watched, his mouth ajar and eyebrows raised, yet he found himself slightly chuckling.

"I guess she likes meat too, ey?" Takeda said.

"I guess so," Keishin answered, his hand scratching the back of his neck, Takeda walked past, his eyebrows wriggled at him, at first Keishin was confused, but his heart dropped as he understood what the older man was referencing too. "TAKEDA!"

The last match of the day was against Fukurodani. Keishin gave the team a final speech, telling them how much they had grown since the beginning before sending them off into their positions.

"Please, just let o-one thing work!" Yuki mumbled, her fingers crossed.

The match started strong with a successful jump serve from Asahi, and from then on, it stayed pretty steady. No team was taking a significant lead. Every time Karasuno played Fukurodani, she found herself in awe of Bokuto. Not only by his skill but by his personality, he would always uplift everyone's spirits, sometimes even the other teams. He beamed positive energy, and part of her wished she could do the same.

"You've got to be kidding me..." her jaw dropped when Boktuo did an amazing cut shot against Tsukki, Kageyama and Asahi. "No wonder he is a t-top five ace..."

"You do realise you were better than him when you were a third year, right?" Keishin told her.

"What? No way, I know I-I was good, but not that good."

"No, Yuki, you were. You were named number one ace after you won Nationals..."

Yuki's eyes widened at his statement. Was she really that good? She shook the thought, not wanting to get distracted, though it did linger, and was something she would like to talk to Keishin again later.

The match continued, Hinata jumped like he always did, she had kept a closer eye on him during the last few matches, after what she saw the night before, she wondered if he would do something similar again. He launched his arm forward, but last second he lightly tapped the ball, sending it over just far enough to go over the blockers hands but not enough for any of the other teammates to get it.

"Hinata did a...feint?" Keishin said, speaking the thought that everyone had.

 _"Coach Nishinoya! I'm going to do a super cool special attack that Bokuto taught me today! It's going to be awesome!"_ Yuki remembered Hinata telling her that morning. 

"G-GOOD JOB H-HINATA!" She called out, he grinned, his cheeks red and thumbs up.

Not long after Kageyama did a setter dump, and Yuki could not help but raise an eyebrow at the confidence that was oozing from him. "Both Hinata and Kageyama seem to be at the t-top of their game right now..." she mumbled.

"Do you think they are going to do it?" Keishin asked.

"I'm not sure, if it goes wrong, they could lose the momentum, but if they get it right? This match c-could be ours to win..."

Yuki found herself watching Kageyama and Hinata more intensely than before, she had a feeling in her stomach telling her it was coming. Each time the ball landed in Kageyama's hands, she would hold her breath for a moment, and let out a deep release when it was a normal attack. But something was different as she watched the ball soar through the air and land into Kageyama's hands as she saw a blur of orange from the corner of her eye.

"They're gonna do it," she said.

Keishin had no time to reply as Hinata jumped. Kageyama launched the ball towards him. And time stood still for a single moment as the ball lingered in the same spot, spinning quickly, allowing Hinata to get the perfect spike. Everyone's jaw's drop. No one had a chance to move. And after a moment of eery silence, everyone on Karasuno burst into cheers.

"YES, YES, YES, YES, YES!" Yuki yelled, jumping up and down, unable to control her excitement that had suddenly rushed out of her.

Even Keishin yelled, "All right!" his hands in a fist and pulling down to his side as he cheered.

"THEY DID IT! THEY DID IT! THEY DID IT!" Yuki slapped Keishin's arm each time, unable to control her actions. "DID YOU SEE IT?"

"Yeah, I did," he laughed.

"Hinata was like _whoosh_ , and Kageyama w-was like _whoosh_ too b-but with his hands," she brought her hands up to show like she was setting an invisible ball, "and then the ball was flying, but then it just slowed down and like _whoaaaa_ ," her voice became deeper as she said it, insinuating it like she was in slow motion, "and then Hinata was like _BAM_!" She was out of breath as the game started up again. Keishin raised an eyebrow but grinned nonetheless, happy to see her so overjoyed that she could not form normal sentences.

Unfortunately, the next new freak quick was not successful, but it did not bum Yuki out. The fact that it worked in the first place, fluke or not, it lit a fire in everyone. She could see the older years stand taller. Now it was their time to shine.

Kageyama hit the ball; first, Yuki's hands balled into a fist, her grin not faltering as her eyes glistened as she watched Yú start to run forward. Just before the attack line, he leapt into the air, the ball landing into his hands for a set up to Asahi.

"YES, YÚ!" She punched the air, despite Asahi's spike being out and losing a point. "The pieces of the puzzle are coming together!" she squealed to herself, once again her hands slightly slapping Keishin's arm.

He knew he should have been more focused on the match, but he found himself mesmerised by Yuki. That sparkle in her eye was not something he had seen many times, in fact, he had only ever seen it when she was playing volleyball. Her passion when playing was now showing when watching the team.

"NOW!" Dachi yelled. Tanaka, Tsukki, Asahi and Daichi all ran towards the net at the same time, and as the ball landed in Kageyama's hands, they all jumped. Fukurodani had no idea who to block, and by the time they realised who Kageyama had set the ball too, it was too late. Tanaka spiked the ball down, earning an easy point for Karasuno.

"N-NICE KILL!" Yuki yelled.

Suddenly, all the pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place. The picture was complete, and everything was correct. Asahi's serves were strong, Yu's sets were consistent, and everyone was playing at the top of their game.

Eighteen points were the first time Karasuno tied up the score and Keishin called a break. As Yú walked over, Yuki got him in a headlock, "Those sets were awesome!" she said as she rubbed her knuckles against his hair.

"Don't get too confident. The real battle begins now!" Keishin told them as they got their drinks.

"Right!" The team answered.

"Also, as planned, you haven't been letting their ace spike too freely," Keishin continued. Yuki could not help but sneak a glance at Bokuto; he drank his water, an unusual scowl on his face. She frowned slightly. Even though she wanted Karasuno to beat Fukurodani, she did not want to see Boktuo looking so... _sad_. He was a beam of sunshine, and it felt wrong to see him not glowing like normal. "Though there was that one ridiculous cut shot. But that was because Tsukishima was able to put in one touch. If you can keep their number four back, we might just be able to do this."

"RIGHT!"

The team retook their positions on the court as Yuki's index finger and thumb pinched her chin as she thought. "Do you think that's what teams did w-with me?"

"What do you mean?" Keishin asked.

"Well I was a top ace, like B-Bokuto, do you think teams targeted me at times?"

"Oh, yeah, 100%," he almost laughed at the silly question. "You were everyone's main target. Don't forget you weren't just a top ace but the captain, the reason Karasuno were so strong. If they took you out, it was an easy win for them."

"So I never broke?"

"I think you came close a few times. I don't think Karasuno ever had an easy game, always going all the way to the last point in the last set. Gosh, it was painful," he laughed, remembering the stress he had just by watching, "but you always pulled through. The team always had your back, they believed in you, damn, everyone in the arena did. You were like a machine," Yuki looked up to him, he was staring off in the distance, "no matter what teams threw at you, you'd just keep fighting, you'd always be loud, never letting Karasuno's hopes falter. You believed you could win, and you were so confident in it, that suddenly everyone started thinking Karasuno could win too. Suddenly, the unknown team from Miyagi had become a team people were scared to face."

"Seems like I was pretty cool."

"You were," they met eyes, and she grinned, feeling her cheeks slightly burning up before looking back to the court.

"I wonder if I could get to that level again..." Keishin did not answer, realising it was a statement she was asking herself.

Bokuto was next to serve, but Yuki realised something was _off_. She watched as he jumped, slamming the ball hard, but only for it to hit the net beside his teammate.

"Damn it! I'm sorry!" He screamed, falling to his knees while grabbing his hair. She raised an eyebrow as his team tried to calm him down. She was worried where this was going.

Tanaka served, purposely aiming for Bokuto, though it was a little off and possibly out of bounds, Bokuto received the ball before yelling for it again. She could tell Akaashi was unsure on his decision but set the ball to Bokuto anyway.

Hinata, Asahi and Daichi jumped, getting a successful block. Bokuto scowled, but it did not falter his confidence to go for another spike.

"One more time, Akaashi!" He yelled.

"All right!" Akaashi sent the ball to Bokuto again. Hinata, Daichi and Asahi mimicked their actions just moments ago. Yuki held her breath as Bokuto's hand connected with the ball.

Everyone's jaw dropped.

Bokuto hit the net.

Yuki facepalmed. There was nothing worse as a spiker than to hit the net. Being blocked was one thing, but to entirely miss was a different level of pain. 

Karasuno cheered as Fukurodani surrounded their ace, waiting for his reaction. Yuki's heart pinged with pain; it was not right for someone like Bokuto to look so distressed.

"Akaashi...Don't toss to me anymore!" He told the team dramatically.

"Welp seems like we broke him..." Yuki mumbled to Keishin.

"Does this mean our chance has arrived?" Takeda asked.

"Yeah! We can win this match!" Keishin answered.  
  


Unfortunately, though, everyone had underestimated how strong Fukurodani were as a team. Bokuto was wandering the court like a lost puppy as the rest of his team stepped up. Part of Yuki wanted to say something to make him feel better, but she knew that was wrong, in the end, she wanted Karasuno to win more than anything, just seeing Bokuto like that broke her heart. 

But it did not seem to matter, even without Bokuto, Fukurodani were winning points with ease. At 22 - 22 Akaashi did a setter dump making Yuki's jaw dropped. They retook the lead. Her hands landed on the side of her face, slowing slipping down and dragging her cheeks down with them. Another spike and Fukurodani were at match point.

"So turns out Bokuto isn't an o-one man army..." she mumbled as Tsukishima got a successful block, getting Karausno a point.

It was Asahi's serve, and Yuki was disappointed when he decided not to do a jump serve. She understood why, but he needed to get used to the pressure if he wanted it to be a real weapon. Fukurodani received it with ease, Yuki's eyes scanned the team as the ball landed in Akaashi's hands.

"You've got to be kidding me..." she mumbled when the ball went up, he had set it for Bokuto, who until a second ago was still looking like a lost puppy. He jumped into the air and smacked the ball hard, flying it past Kageyama and Tsukishima, and winning the game for his team.

"I'm the best after all!" Bokuto cheered with a fist punch. Yuki sighed and shook her head softly with a chuckle as she watched him cheer up.

"What a strong ass team..." she mumbled.

After a talk with Karasuno, it was the final chance to get last-minute practice with the other teams before the barbecue and finally hometime. She was unsure what she wanted to do for the next hour before the barbecue. Part of her wanted to go with Bokuto and them a lot again, enjoying their company and watching their skill, but another part of her wanted to stay away. She did not want to admit it, but she was jealous. She had so much fun the first time they played, and the second time she felt envious that she could not join it.

"Hey," Keishin walked up behind her, "you okay?"

"Yeah, j-just thinking about what to do before the barbecue."

"Are you not going to the gym three again?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Well, if you do, make sure you wear this," Yuki raised an eyebrow and looked down to see he was handing her a safety helmet.

"W-what? I didn't bring mine..."

"Let's just say I have a spare in my bag, in case you ever forget yours." Yuki looked up to him, grinning from ear to ear.

"You know you're the best right?"

"I try," He smirked. "Just be safe though, okay?" he moved a piece of hair behind her ear, "can't have my girl getting hurt."

Yuki could not hold down her excitement and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She snuggled her face into his neck. She pulled away and planted a firm kiss onto his lips, leaving him giddy as she ran away. "I'll meet you at the b-barbecue!"

She ran out of the gym and towards number three, where Bokuto, Kuroo, Hinata, Akaashi and Tsuki already were practising. "Hey," she said breathlessly, running inside and catching their attention. "Got room for one more?"

The next hour Yuki spend playing volleyball with the boys, and she had not stopped smiling once. She was drenched in sweat by the end, trying different attacks and defensive combos. Not only did she enjoy playing, but she thought the boys were hilarious. They would have the stupidest of conversations and arguments, and she often found herself in a fit of giggles.

"You look like you have fun," Keishin laughed as he saw her walking over to him. Her cheeks bright red and her hair slightly all over the place.

"Oh no, d-do I look like a mess?"

"A cute mess," he placed a gentle kiss on her hot forehead, "hungry?"

"Starving."

Time flew past during the barbecue. Yuki found herself floating around the area. Many of the players wanted to speak to her, which she was happy to do while also stealing the meat of their plates. She talked with Bokuto and Akaashi some more, and Kuroo introduced her to Kenma who was the setter for Nekoma. They had not talked before, but she knew how strong of a player he was from watching him the last week. 

Night starting to fall and Yuki was getting anxious. She loved the whole week. Not only because she and Keishin had gotten together, but it reminded her of how much she really loved volleyball. She had memories resurfacing all the time to the point where she could say she somewhat remembered her time in high school. Bokuto, Kuroo and Akaashi made her remember that even a person's rivals could be a person's biggest help and motivator. All the teams were supposed to be against each other, yet Kuroo and Boktuo acted like mentors for Hinata and Tsuki. She had a higher respect for them than just great volleyball players.

"We'll s-see you at Nationals," Yuki told Bokuto and Kuroo confidently as they stood outside the school ready to leave. "I'm sure Old Coach Ukai and Coach Nekomata w-would love to see the battle of the garbage dump." Both her and Kuroo raised their fist, meeting in the middle, their knuckles touching. "And you," she looked to Bokuto, "I hope by t-the end I can call you number one ace." His eyes widened, his chest and head raised.

"YOU CAN COUNT ON IT!" He grinned.

All the Karasuno boys fell asleep instantly as the journey home started. Takeda took the first shift of driving, and Yuki sat closest to the window, Keishin beside her. She stared out of the window, chin rested in her palm.

"What you thinking about?" he asked her.

"Just about the whole week," she looked to him. "I'm going t-to miss those stupid boys."

"Yeah, think you spent more time with them than me," he joked, nudging her slightly.

She breathed a laugh. "Yeah...I'm not sure what it was, I-I think they helped me remember my love of just always wanting to play and to improve. W-watching them talk and teach Hinata and Tskuishima brought many of my memories back when I was helping the first years when I was Captain. I missed four years o-of my life, and I felt with them, I was kinda g-getting back what I missed...does that even make sense?" she laughed, looking up to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, it does." his hand reached forward, and he took her hand into his. "I may have a little surprise."

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Surprise?"

"As everyone worked so hard this last week, I'm making them take the day off, so tomorrow there is no training. So I thought, if you'd like, you don't have to, but me, Yúsuke and Makoto were going to go down to the beach, and I was wondering if you would like to join us?"

"The beach?"

"Yes."

"Will we be able to play Volleyball?"

"Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was meant to only be like 2k and somehow ended on 5k
> 
> I don't know how this has happened but uh, it has, so enjoy?
> 
> Just so people know, I'm doing the NaNoWriMo challenge where a person tries to write 50,000 words in one month. It's a challenge that happens every November and I'm gonna try do it focusing on this story. So there is a possibility I will finish this story this month. I already have the last chapter written out NGL haha
> 
> But I don't think I'll publish each chapter as I write it. For now, I'll stick to once a week but if I get ahead (which I should as I have to write 1,700 words each day for the challenge) then I'll start posting chapters every 3 days!
> 
> Anyway, hope everyone has a great day.


	31. Beach

** From Keishin: **

_ Good Morning. I hope you had a good sleep. I'm going to be working all day. I'll see you tomorrow morning. Remember we're leaving for 10 am. I hope you have a good day beautiful _

Yuki stared at the message for a few minutes when she woke up the next morning, unable to stop her grin. She could not help but think how sweet he was. But her smile dropped when she saw the message was sent at 5:28 am. He would be working all day and started so early? She felt a ping of sadness strike her. Everyone else got a break except him. She wanted -  _ needed  _ to do something, even if it was something small to make his day better.

Yuki perked up at an idea, but first, she had a message she needed to send.

** To Saeko: **

_ Hey, I know this is random, but I'm heading to the beach tomorrow with Keishin and some of his friends. I was wondering if you would like to come? Would be nice to have another girl with me. :D _

Yuki stared at her phone for a moment, there was someone else she needed to talk too, but she had been dreading it since the night before. She did not have a bikini at her grandad's house, she needed to go home to get one, but she had not been home since the argument. In fact, she had not spoken to her mother since.

However, her father had ensured to send a message at least once every other day. They did not say much to each other; he mainly just did it to check up on her.

Yuki sighed deeply as her finger hovered over the ring icon. It was a strange feeling, to be nervous about phoning a family member, but part of her worried that he too would be mad at her for her decisions. That one day, he would stop talking to her also, and that would break her. She was always a daddy's girl. She bit the bullet and pressed her finger down on the screen, pulling the phone to her ear.

** bringg **

_ She could just hang up and send a message telling him it was by accident. _

** bringg **

_ Who says he wanted to talk to her? _

** bringg **

_ What if her mum picked it up? _

"Hello," her father's voice said down the phone.

"Hey," she mumbled. "H-how are you?"

"I'm good, you?"

"Good..." There was an awkward silence. Yuki was close to tears; how could she feel so disconnected from her own father? "Is mum working?"

"Yes, why?"

"I need to come home to g-get something. Do you think that would be okay?"

"YES!" Her father suddenly piped up; he cleared his throat. "Yes, she'll be home around 2ish. I can make lunch if you come at around 12."

"Okay," Yuki cheered up. "I'll see you soon!"

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too."

She hung up the phone and sat on her bed for a few minutes, a small smile creeping to her face. Knowing that her father  _ wanted  _ to spend time with her was a weight off her shoulders. Truthfully, she missed him. She locked her phone and looked at the clock.

**_ 10:30 am _ **

She had time...

\--

"Welcome to S- Yuki!" Keishin stood up instantly when he saw her, walking around the counter. "Why are you here? I thought you were going to take the day to rest? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm on my way to my house to g-grab a Bikini for tomorrow and thought I'd stop by." She wrapped her arms around his waist, placing her chin on his chest, looking up at him. "I don't think it's fair everyone gets a rest day b-but you."

He smiled down at her; his hand raised to her face to move a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm used to it. Been working straight out of high school."

"Doesn't mean you don't a deserve a rest. You may not be playing Volleyball, but you still work as hard as everyone else."

Keishin shrugged. "It's just how it is."

"Well, as your girlfriend, I'm going to make it my mission to try and make s-sure your days are as easy as possible." She pulled away from the hug and placed her bag on the counter.

"You don't have to do that," he chuckled lightly, "having you work beside me with the boys and sometimes at the store is all I need."

"You weren't able to make lunch today, were you?" She ignored his statement, opening her bag.

"Oh yeah, no, I wasn't, I forgot about that, I'm going have to order something ou-" he was interrupted when Yuki pushed a small box into his chest, he raised a brow. "What's this?"

"Lunch." She grinned. "Konnyaku dumplings, they're your favourite right?" Keishin said nothing, eyes wide staring at the white box. Yuki's smile faded. "Did I get it wrong? Was it the K-"

"No, you got it right, I just-" he met her eyes, "you didn't have to do this."

"But I wanted too," her smile returned. "My grandad knew how to make them, I spent most of the morning learning, t-there were many fails attempts, but now I know how, I can make it whenever you want."

Keishin answered by leaning forward and connection their lips. The action was unexpected, but Yuki did not complain, her hand raising to run through his hair. He placed the white box down before his hands slid down her back.

"Jump," he mumbled as they broke away for a moment. Yuki did as he asked, he caught her legs and sat her on the counter. She pulled him close, opening her mouth as she felt hungry for more. She clutched her legs, pulling him closer.

** Ding **

Both broke away from each other, his hands falling to the counter either side of her.

"Welc-" Keishin cleared his throat, "Welcome to Sakanoshita Store." Yuki held down her giggles as the person entered, giving them a slight glance before walking away to get his shopping.

"We should really s-stop making out in public," she said. Keishin sighed softly, his head hung low and his cheeks red from embarrassment. He looked up and shook his head at her, but she could see the amusement flickering in his eyes.

"Thank you, again, for this." He nodded to the Benito. "I really appreciate it."

"No worries," she gave him a peck on the lips before jumping off the counter.

"My break is in like ten minutes if you want to stay, we can have lunch together."

"I would l-love too, but I'm having lunch with my dad, and I've got to go get my Bikini before my mum gets home..." he saw her shoulders slump forward.

"You know I'm here to talk if you need, right?"

"I know," she nodded, wiping the single tear that fell. "Just trying not to think about how my mum has basically abandoned me." He pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair with his hand. "I'm okay," she quickly said before he could say anything. She pulled away from the hug, not wanting to make a big deal out of the situation. "I can come back after, c-can help in the store for the rest of the night."

"No, I want you to have a rest day, okay?"

"But I-"

"But nothing," he leaned forward and gave a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Go rest, hang out with your grandad. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" After a moment, she finally agreed, knowing he would not let in. When it came to her health, he was stubborn about it, but she found it sweet. "Remember, we are leaving at 10 am, okay?"

"I know, I know," she waved off as she walked out of the store.

"That means waking up earlier, not at 10 am!" 

"I know, I know." The door shut and he sighed softly knowing she was going to wake up late anyway.

"WHERE'S MY FUTURE DAUGHTER IN LAW?!" Keishin's mother suddenly yelled as she ran into the shop, giving the customer who was looking around quite a fright.

"Jeez Mum, chill, she just left. And will you stop calling her that! You're going to scare her away!"

"But she is, is she not?"

"I-I, we've only just started dating. Just chill out a little."

"Do you not want to marry her?" Keishin brought a hand to his face, his thumb and fingers rubbing his eyes as he tried to stay clam.

"It's just a little early, mum. I like her, a lot, probably more than I should so early in, I just don't want her to be scared away. So please, relax, okay?"

His mother's face softened. "I'm so proud of you!" she wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tight.

"WHAT? WHY?"

\--

Yuki hesitantly knocked on the door to the house. Her arms behind her back and eyes scanning the front lawn. It had not been too long since she left, but it felt weird to be back. Like when she was a kid and had to go into the staff room, it just felt,  _ wrong _ .

** DING **

She took the phone out of her pocket and saw a message appear on my screen.

** From Saeko: **

_ YES! That sounds awesome! I've been wanting to go for ages now! _

Yuki smiled at the response before replying and sending the details her way.

"Yuki, perfect timing, food is ready!" Her dad opened the door and smiled. Yuki relaxed as he brought her into a hug. She held on a little tighter and longer than she use too, and he seemed to do the same. "I hope you're hungry!"

The two sat at the table as they ate away. They talked casually, and it was like nothing ever happened. He spoke about his work, she told him about everything that happened with the team and the training camp.

"Ah yes, Coach Ukai, Yú told me," her father said, she grew red.

"W-what about him?" she tried to play dumb.

"Apparently he smokes, has dyed hair, piercings...a perfect role model."

"No, I mean, yes, but he's r-really sweet," she mumbled, avoiding his eyes, "and he's helping me with volleyball but makes sure I'm always safe." She looked up. "I-I think you would like him."

"Does he make you happy?"

She smiled and nodded. "Very."

"Then that's all that matters. Hopefully, I can meet him soon. Yú has told me good things."

"He's a good guy. He's taking m-me to the beach tomorrow."

"Just you two?" The protective side of him started to show.

"No, two of his f-friends are coming, and Saeko, Tanaka's older sister is coming as well, so I w-won't just be with a bunch of boys."

" _ Mhm." _

\--

"Yuki," someone whispered from above her. "Yuki..." they said again, now prodding at her cheek. She didn't reply, hoping whoever it was would let her sleep more. "YUKI!" She shot up straight. Her hair wild and eyes were wide.

"Huh, yeah, hello, I'm up!"

Keishin stood at the side of her bed, arms crossed and eyebrows raised with a slight grin. "You've got ten minutes, and then I'm leaving, with or without you." Yuki blinked at him dumbly; her eyes scanned down to her clock.

**_ 9:50 am _ **

"Shit," she scrambled out of the bed as Keishin made his way out of her room and downstairs. She wanted to pack her bag the night before but forgot. She jumped into the shower before throwing everything inside a bag.

_ Towel? Check _

_ Bikini? Check _

_ Phone? Check _

_ Money? Check _

"I'M READY!" She yelled as she ran down the stairs, stumbling on her own feet as she ran into the kitchen where her grandfather and Keishin were having a drink at the table.

"Good job, you had a minute to spare," Kieshin said, checking his watch. He stood up and walked over to her. "I told you if we leave at ten you have to set up an alarm beforehand," he took the bag from her hand.

"I'm s-sorry, I forgot to set my alarm."

"I know, that why I got here early," he smirked, She smiled sheepishly up at him before he leaned forward a placed a gentle kiss on her head. "We really need to get you better with timings."

"Yeah, sorry..."

"Anyway, ready to go?" She grinned and nodded.

They said goodbye to her grandfather before jumping into his little yellow car. "The others are going to meet us there."

The car journey was how it always was. Music blaring as both sang and danced. Though unlike before, Keishin would often have one hand on her thigh. Sometimes his fingers tapped on it to the beat of the music, and others time he simply squeeze it knowing it would comfort her. Both windows were rolled down; her arm leaned on the windowsill and hand holding the top of the car. The sky was clear, and the sun was beating down on them.

"Here we are, Kodanohama Beach Resort," Keishin said as they pulled into the parking lot. He pulled his phone out. "Looks like we're the first here. The others are about ten minutes away." He looked at her. "Should we go find a spot to set up?" Yuki nodded and jumped out of the car.

It was busy, the sun was scorching hot, she only had been standing in it for a few minutes, and she already had sweat drops forming on her forehead. She did not move after shutting the door. Suddenly feeling as though she was on the edge of a rollercoaster, waiting for the drop. Her heart racing, and eyes scanning the area to look for an escape, but everywhere she looked, she found a crowd of people. She watched as their mouths moved, laughter entered her ears, she looked to the left to see a group of rowdy boys walking a few steps in front of her. Her hand scrambled on the side of the car door as she searched for the handle.

"Hey, Yuki." Keishin stood in front of her. "Yuki?" She did not acknowledge him. "Baby, look at me." He grabbed her face, and she met his eyes, they were full of worry, his eyebrows pulled together. "You okay?" She said nothing; her breathing slowed down. "Hey, say something," he spoke softly, his thumb rubbing her cheek.

"Y-yeah...I'm s-sorry. It's been a while...I thought I would be okay." His eyebrows raised. "There's just a lot of people."

"Oh, do you want to go home?"

"No, no. We've c-come all this way."

"But I'd rather go if you're not going to enjoy it."

"I will. J-just stay close?"

He grinned. "Of course," he kissed her head.

"And when we start playing I'll f-forget about the people anyway."

The two started to walk down the beach. Keishin held hand tightly each time he saw her face became worried, ensuring she knew he was by her side.

"Oh, let's sit near the Volleyball court!" She said excitedly as she spotted it in the distance. They set down their bags down and laid out their towels. Yuki stood tall, hands on her hips, the people from before walked further down the beach. Near the water, many kids and teenagers were jumping off a pier into the water. She laughed as a boy picked up a girl and plunged into the water.

_ Everything would be okay. She did not need to panic. _

"Ah!" Yuki jumped as suddenly a wet liquid touched her face.

"Sorry," he chuckled standing in front of her, his hands on her cheeks, rubbing the liquid in. "Don't want you to burn." He had a shit-eating grin on his face.

She knelt and grabbed the bottle, flipping it before squeezing the centre of it, a large dollop of cream spat out, covering a majority of his face.

Her eyes widened, and hand covered her face in shock, she had not meant for so much to come out. Keishin brought his hand to his eyes, wiping the cream away. She tried her best to hold down a chuckle; he opened his eyes.

"Sorry?"

"Your dead."

"No!" She started to run as he chased her; she was too busy laughing to getaway. He easily caught up and grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up.

"KEISHIN!" She laughed as he spun her around. He placed her back to her feet and made her face him. He scraped some of the cream off himself and wiped it across her head. She continued to laugh but attempted to rub in the sun cream, though it was far too much, making him look like he was trying to dress up like a skeleton for Halloween.

"HEY, YUKI!" Her faced dropped. She recognised that voice. But how was he here? "YUKI!" He yelled again; her head dropped onto Keishin's shoulder.

"Is it him?" She mumbled.

"Yep..."

Yuki turned and forced a smile. Yū and Tanaka were running full sprint at them, bags hanging from their arms. Not far behind Saeko walked, her hand in the air waving.

"I'm going to kill my dad..." Yuki returned the wave, an unimpressed grin on her face.


	32. Young Crows vs Old Crows

"Took you guys long enough to get here," Keishin said as Shimada and Takinoue arrived five minutes later. Their hands collided into a casual handshake as Yuki walked over to them.

"Hello," she grinned. "Takinoue," she pointed to the taller blonde hair man, "and Shimada?" she pointed to the dark-haired man.

"That's us," Yakinoue answered. "But call us Yúsuke and Makoto, I feel like we know you enough - someone, don't know who - keeps telling us random things about you all the tim-" he was cut off when Keishin placed a foot behind Takinoue's legs and pushed him backwards, sending him to the floor. She laughed lightly at the action but could say nothing as Takinoue was quick to take Keishin down with him. The two fought as she felt a slight buzz knowing that Keishin's friends accepted her. He talked a lot about them and respected them highly. She knew she needed to be in their good books if she wanted a longing relationship with him.

"Want to go get changed?" Saeko asked as she walked up behind them.

"Yeah, sure, l-let me just grab my bag."

\--

Yuki stared at herself in the mirror, pushing to her tiptoes and turning to the side to see how she looked. She suddenly felt a wave of nerves hit her. Keishin had never seen her so  _ bare  _ before. Sure she had worn shorts-shorts before, but there were only little straps keeping her from being completely naked.

What if he found her unattractive? What if he stopped liking her? What i-

"Whoo Hoo! Look at that body!" Saeko yelled as she walked out of the changing room. "Can tell you are an athlete! Are those abs?" she asked, poking at Yuki's stomach.

"W-What, no! I don't think so..." she mumbled, looking in the mirror.

"You been working out?"

"No, not really. I go for r-runs sometimes, and squats-"

"Explains that ass of yours!" Yuki grew red and turned around, hands over her bottom. "Why are you trying to hide it? Show it off. I wish mine look that good!" Saeko looked at herself in the mirror, but Yuki thought she looked great.

"Do you think Keishin will think I look good?" Yuki mumbled, embarrassed.

"If he doesn't, I'll have you," Saeko winked before walking to the door.

"W-w-what!?"

Saeko was a few steps in front as they walked back to the boys. Yuki kept her eyes down as she tried to calm herself. 

"Here the girls come," Makoto said, catching the attention of Keishin and Yúsuke.

"Damn, they putting all the other girls how here to shame," Yúsuke said when he looked up. Keishin said nothing, eyes planted on Yuki as he watched her every move.

"Hey, you down there," Yúsuke leaned forward, finger-pointing at Keishin's crotch, "you've got to stay down -  _ ooft!"  _ Keishin punched Yúsuke in the stomach, making him hunch over in pain as the girls arrived.

Yuki glanced up, meeting Keishin's eyes, her cheeks grew red. She was too busy thinking about herself; she did not even realise he would be in his swimwear too, which consisted of only a pair of swim trunks. Her core twisted at the slight. His body was muscular, but not too much. Just enough that there was a subtle appearance of a six-pack on his stomach, and his arms defined.

Keishin took a few steps forward meeting her in the middle and away from the others. He could feel the heat rise in his cheeks as he looked down at her, unable to stop his wandering eye. She smiled, tearing her eyes away from his body. Neither said anything, staring at each other, though their brains were racing with thoughts. Both nervously chuckled but before either could say anything, Tanaka yelled.

"HEY! ARE WE PLAYING VOLLEYBALL OR WHAT?" 

"YEAH, LET'S GO!" Yú yelled, grabbing the ball from Tanaka and running over to the court. Keishin shook his head with a chuckle before looking back to Yuki.

"Are you okay?" Concern covered with his words. Yuki's eyes were frozen open, staring off into the distance, her mouth open and lip trembling. "Yuki?" She looked at him.

"I forgot my helmet..."

Keishin let out a sigh of relief. "Honestly, I think you'd lose your head if it weren't attached to your body," he chuckled. Her eyebrows pulled together.

"W-what?"

"Like I said the other day," he walked over to his bag. "I will always have a spare one in my bag." He pulled out the helmet from his bag and walked back over to her. Her eyes became moist as her sudden pain of not being able to play washed away. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight.

"What w-would I do without you?"

"Not much apparently," he smirked before kissing her cheek, "now put this on, and let's go play."

Tanaka and Yú were already passing the ball back and forth with Yúsuke and Makoto when Keishin and Yuki walked over to the court.

An idea popped into her head.

"What do you say to a three on three, t-the young crows vs the old?" Yuki grinned, hand on her hips.

Keishin laughed. "Are you sure about that? We have a pretty strong attack against you."

Yuki eyed the three older men. It was true, their teams attacking power was far greater. Keishin was a setter, Yusuke a middle blocker and Makoto a wing spiker. She glanced to Tanaka and Yú. She would have to act as the setter for the team, and Tanaka would have to make the main attacks, but with Yú, their defence would be able to counter their attack.

She took a step closer to Keishin. "I think you're forgetting you're about to go against the Nishinoyas. He alone will be able to handle your attacks. You s-should just be worried about  _ your  _ defence."

Tanaka, Yú and Yuki stood on one side of the court, Keishin, Yusuke and Makoto on the other side. Keishin only stood inches from Yuki, the net being the only thing between them.

"You can change your mind. I won't hold it against you," he told her, a smirk plastered on his face.

"I won't hold it against you when we win," she returned his grin. Both held each other's gaze, sticking their hands out for a firm shake.

"Winner gets to choose what movie we watch tonight."

"W-whose says I'm coming over tonight?"

"Are you saying you don't want too?"

Yuki bit her bottom lip, trying to suppress her smile, she glanced down to the sand for a moment before looking back to him. "Deal."

"Tanaka, let's s-start the game with a nice serve!" Yuki said as she and Keshin got into their positions. Yuki stood beside Yú.

"Hey," he said, "don't worry about getting blocked. I'm going to have your back every time, okay?" Yuki eyebrows pulled together at his comment. She had not even thought about how he was handling her playing again. It must be hard for him too; his last memory of her playing was her accident. That when she messed up, her team were unable to get the ball, so she had to do it herself.

"I know you will," she replied.

The game started and the ball was received with ease by Yusuke, Keishin set it to Makoto who spiked it down, but Yú was quick to react, digging it up and sending it into the air.

"Sorry, it's short!" Yú said.

"Don't worry; I got it!" Tanaka replied, passing the ball to Yuki. She glanced to Keishin who was standing opposite, his eyes planted on the ball, she smirked before both jumped into the air. His arms reached up as he attempted to block her spike, but she did not jump as high as she thought, mistiming it. Her fingertips barely touched the ball, tipping it over Keishin's fingers, but not far enough for the other two to dig it up, earning the young crows a point.

"NICE FEINT!" Tanaka yelled, running over. Yuki did not reply, looking down at the sand.

"Why was my j-jump so...small?" she asked, her head tilting to the side confused.

"THAT WAS A SMALL JUMP?" Saeko yelled from the sidelines.

"You're playing on the sand; it's different to what your use too. During indoor, when you jump, you can jump up and forward, but on the sand, this will only cause you to be stopped. The movement in the sand from feet and grounded balls will cause divots. When you start with beach volleyball, the uneven surface caused by these divots creates frustration as they warp the surface even further. In time, these divots will work to your advantage as you use them to push off and gain speed." Makoto answered. She looked up; her eyebrow raised, confused.

"Try speaking English," Yusuke told his friend.

"Running forward to jump will cause you to sink in the sand. You need to learn just to jump."

Yuki's mouth opened into an 'o' shape as she understood - somewhat - what he said.

"Does that mean I won't be able to do my j-jump serve?"

"Thank fuck for that," Keishin laughed, earning a glare off Yuki. "What? I don't wanna try to receive that!"

The two teams continued going back and forth. Yuki's jump was not great, but still better than her first attempt, and still higher than everyone else playing. Yú was doing a great job on defence, but the Old Crows main points were from Yú messing up his serves- which no one could fault him for, in the end, he was a Libero.

Yusuke served, and once again - like all the other times - Yú received it. "Yuki hit it!" Tanaka yelled as the ball rebounded high into the air. She took a step forward before leaping up, her left arm pulled back as a spotlight lit up where she wanted to target the ball, but suddenly, as her arm starting to fly forward, she found herself back at Nationals.

The spotlight disappeared and was replaced but a set of blockers. Her hit on the ball was weak, rebounding off the blocker's arms. The ball fell to the right, her eyes followed it - no one was close enough to get it, she needed to retouch the ball; otherwise, they would lose, it would be all her fault. Just as Yuki started to lean back to reach for the ball, Yú dived into her vision, digging up the ball.

Yuki was brought back to the beach; she landed on her feet as the ball was sent into the air.

"I told you. I'll always have your back," Yú told her. She grinned and gave a stern nod before running to the other side of the court where Tanaka set her the ball, and she slammed it down before Keishin, Yusuke and Makoto could get close.

"How the hell are we meant to keep up with her?" Yusuke said breathlessly as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"You don't," Keishin laughed, watching as Yuki high fived Nishinoya and Tanaka.

"She's improved so much since last time we saw her play," Makoto commented. "Was she training when you guys weren't talking?"

"I don't know; we haven't really talked about it..."

"She must be doing something; her jumps are insane!"

"She really is the girl that can fly, even when she hasn't been playing for four years..." Yusuke added.

Yuki was next to serve and attempted a jump serve, but just as Makoto said, as she ran she lost her footing in the sand, and her jump was useless, the ball hit the net. "Shit..." she muttered, annoyed.

"All good, you'll get the next one!" Yú grinned with a thumbs up.

Keishin was next to serve. Yuki watched him with eager eyes. His cheeks were slightly flushed, sweat dripped down his face and body, she watched as his chest moved up and down slowly as he tried to control his breathing. She did not mean to check him out; she had been doing it the whole match, catching a sneaky glance every once in a while. He just looked so  _ good _ .

Keishin sent the ball over the net with ease, Tanaka received it, Yú set and Yuki spiked. Yusuke dived forward and got the dig just before the ball touched the floor, sending the ball close to the net.

"Sorry, it's long!" Yusuke said.

Yuki and Keishin met eyes as they both stood opposite each other at the net. They jumped up, both of their hands touching the volleyball, creating a joust between the two. They met eyes again for a moment through their raised arms, both grinning from ear to ear, but after a second, Yuki got the better of him, pushing the ball past his hands and to the floor.

Tanaka and Yú cheered from behind her as she and Keishin landed on their feet. "I hope you like horrors," she grinned before walking to the younger boys.

Keishin hands landed on his hip as he watched her walk away. He hung his head back as the sun beat down onto his skin.

"Something's telling me we're not winning this," Makoto chuckled.

Yusuke elbowed Keishin. "How are you losing to your girl like that?"

"You're telling me you could have won it?"

"Pfft, yeah, easy."

"Bullshit, and you know it."

Yusuke chuckled and matched Keishin's standing position. "It's not that the two boys are bad, in fact, they are quite good, that punk kid especially, he's digging up all my spikes but Yuki, man, she's on a different level."

The three men stood and watched as the three younger crows talked between each other.

"So we're calling this a lost right?" Keishin asked.

"Yep." The other two said simultaneously.

"Okay, I've got an idea."

Yuki raised an eyebrow as she watched Keishin, Yusuke and Makoto gathered into a circle, whispering between each other. She grabbed Yú and Tanaka, pulling them close to mimic the actions of the other men.

"What are you doing?" Tanaka asked.

"I don't know, t-they are doing it, so I wanted to do it too!"

Tanaka was next to serve, Yuki once again stood opposite Keishin at the front of the court.

"Did you have a good little meeting?" she asked as she placed her hands on the back of her head.

"Yes, it was very informative. You should be worried about what we have planned."

"Oh, should we now?" Keishin nodded, making her giggle.

The ball was put into play, her eyes only left Keishin for a moment as Makoto prepared to receive, but just as the ball connected with his arm, her helmet suddenly unclipped. She was unable to say anything as a squeal left her lips as she felt her feet get swept up from the floor. Her face was met with a bare muscular back, two arms around her waist as she was hoisted on Keishin's shoulder.

"KEISHIN!" She yelled as he started to run away from the court, her helmet falling to the sand. Everyone watched, laughing at her reaction as he took her away. "KEISHIN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She could barely ask her question through her giggles. Though she was concerned where they were going, she could not see in front, just her brother getting smaller in the distance. "KEISHIN!"

"HOLD YOUR BREATHE!"

"WHA-" Her words were cut short when Keishin jumped; she saw the pier get higher as both started to fall, and crashed into the water. She quickly swam up, gasping for air. Keishin also came up, a goofy grin plastered on his face.

"So that w-was your plan?" she asked, pulling her hair back and out of her face.

"Yeah," he pulled her close. "good plan, right?"

"You're an idiot..." she raised her hand and pulled off his headband, his wet hair falling forward. She analysed his face. His eyes shined, his eyelashes longer due to the water. His cheeks were still slightly flushed from playing. She moved a piece of his hair out of his eyes. "You really are a pretty boy," she said softly.

He smiled and leaned forward, giving her a gentle kiss.

"CANNONBALL!" Yú and Tanaka screamed as they jumped into the water, followed shortly by Saeko, Yusuke and Makoto. Yuki used the opportunity to push away from Keishin and splash water into his face.

"Oh, okay, I see how it is!" He said as she starting to swim away with him chasing her. Yú and Tanaka started a battle against Saeko as Yuksuke and Makoto did their best to help her. It turned into a water fight of sorts. Every person was doing their best to see who could get the other most wet despite them all already being drenched.

Yuki found herself in a fit of giggles as everyone messed around. She got onto Keishin's shoulders, and Saeko onto Yusuke's as they battled it out, trying to get the other into the water. Yú and Tanaka cheered on their sisters, both pushing and shoving each other at the same time.

"Stop laughing and take her down!" Keishin told Yuki.

"Come you got it easy!" Yusuke told Saeko.

Both girls held each other's shoulders, fighting against each other, going back and forth, trying to catch their balance, but eventually, Yuki was able to take Saeko down. Yú jumped onto Tanaka's shoulders, wanting to take his sister down, but once again she was victorious, even Makoto tried to take her down, but he lost quicker than the other two.

"Keishin why you try to take her down?" asked Yusuke.

"Not happening, I like to stay on the winning team."

Yuki could not help but take a moment and watch as they all laughed. She was happy. It had only been a few months, but it seemed like her whole life had turned around. She had gone from being terrified to leave the house, to not wanting to stay home anymore. She loved coaching, playing and even working in the store with Keishin. If she was honest, she was happy whether he was.

If she told her past self that in a few months she would have a boyfriend and be playing volleyball again, she would not have believed it. Her old self would not have dared to touch a volleyball or even think about romantically talking to a guy. But when she thought about it, in the beginning, she never saw Keishin in that way. He was simply the coach of her younger brothers team, and slowly he grew to be something much more.

"I think you spend more time staring at each other than you do talking," Saeko said beside her as they exited the water.

"W-What? No, I don't," Yuki's cheeks grew red.

"No you do, it's pretty obvious too."

"And you think y-you're so sly? I see you s-sneaking glances at Yusuke."

"Pfft, what you talking about? Him? Please." Saeko tried to play it off.

"Ah, my mistake, he's t-too tall. You prefer people like Udai."

Now Saeko grew red. "What? I never liked him, I just, he was - when did I even tell you about that?"

Yuki laughed. "I told you, a lot of m-my memories are coming back," she started to jog forward to catch up with the others. "And don't worry y-your secret crush on-" her head nodded towards Yuksuke, "is safe with me."

"I DON'T HAVE A SECRET - fucks sake..."

All the boys stood outside a food truck when Yuki finally caught up to them.

"What you thinking of getting?" Keishin asked.

"Uh, Onigiri and a lemon soda, please."

"Ah shit, of course I don't have it," he mumbled as he patted the side of his swim trunks. "Can you quickly go run and grab my wallet? It's in the front pocket of my bag."

Yuki nodded and shot off towards their stuff. She grabbed the wallet, and just before running back to the truck, she saw a guy in a rest vest with a megaphone beside the volleyball court holding up a clipboard.

"LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR THE 2 V 2 BEACH VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT!"


	33. 2 v 2

"Where the hell is she?" Keshin mumbled, agitated.

"Relax, she probably got distracted by a puppy or something," Yusuke replied, handing the money to the man behind the register. "I've got this; you can pay me back after."

"You don't understand; she gets lost so easily; she is a nightmare for it honestly." He answered, pushing to his tiptoes, trying his best to see if he could spot her in the distance.

"What's worse her directional skills, forgetfulness or lateness?"

"Honestly, I don't know; they are all just as bad as each other."

Yusuke chuckled at his friend's stress. "Have you ever seen him like this before?" He asked Makoto.

"Looking like what?" Keishin mumbled, still not looking at them.

"Wasn't the last time like back in high school? With, what was her name again..." Makoto mumbled, his finger clicking as he tried to remember.

"Ya - no - Yor - Yam - Ye..." Yusuke murmured as he too tried to remember.

"Takara Yori!" Makoto said loudly with a point of his finger.

"Oh yeah, he was head over heels for her! Couldn't even ask her out on a date," Yusuke laughed. Keishin grumbled next to them but said nothing; they had a point. It had been years since he felt such strong emotions for someone.

"And then when he finally worked up the courage, she straight up rejected him!" Yúsuke laughed loudly with Makoto, Keishin grew red, and before he could answer, he heard a familiar voice.

"KEISHIN!" Yuki pushed through the crowd of people.

"Hey, what took you so long? Why are you out of breath?" he asked as she made her way beside him.

"I - signed us - up-" her arm lifted and finger pointed towards the direction she had run, "for a - 2 v 2 - volleyball tournament."

"What?"

"It starts in - ten minutes!" she placed her hand on her knees. "Phew, that was a - long run!"

"You want  _ me  _ to play in a 2 v 2? I probably was not the best person to pick, babe," he replied, hand scratching the back of his neck.

"Why?"

"I'm probably the worse out of all of us," he chuckled awkwardly, "we probably won't get very far."

"I don't care about winning," she stood up straight, finally catching her breath. "I just t-thought it would be a fun thing for us to do." she beamed. "I like when we play together." Keishin cheeks grew red. After a moment of not answering, her smile faltered. "Unless y-you don't want too. Then I can ch-"

"No, no. I want too," Keishin smiled softly. "I just don't want to let you down..."

"You won't. Like I said, I want to play with you, and no one else knows how to set for me like you do. Truthfully I only ever want you or Yú by my side...but he doesn't know how to spike," they both chuckled.

Keishin watched her, how could he deny her when she smiled at him like that? "Okay, I'll play."

"YES!" But it did not change the fact that he was worried about the tournament, worried he would let her down. She was way ahead of him in skill, but maybe what he lacked she would make up for. They had trained together a fair amount; it was true; he did know how to set for her. He knew what to do to get the best out of her, they would make a good duo, but it did not stop the distress in the back of his mind.

-

Keishin, Yuki and the others waited on the sidelines as the tournament started. They were playing in the second match, against who they were not sure. Yuki became more excited with each second that went by, but Keishin became more nervous seeing how strong the opponents were. Was he just going to embarrass himself? Part of him wanted to pull out.

"Hey, Yuki?"

"Yeah?" she looked to him, her eyes shining and grin wide. But how could he when she was so excited? Even if they did lose, it did not matter; he was doing it for her.

"We got this,"

"Yeah, we do!"

The match came to an end, and Yuki was practically jumping with excitement. She did not say anything as she ran onto the court, the other's wishing her good luck.

"Don't fuck it up...never know if you do well, you might get som- _ ooft _ " Keishin punched Yusuke in the stomach before he could finish his sentence as he joined Yuki's side.

Their oppositions were two young twenty-year-old boys, lean and tall, most likely volleyball players in their younger years. Yusuke and Makoto had to hold back Yú and Tanaka from attacking the boys from the looks they were going Yuki and Saeko, though Yuki was too excited to play to notice. But of course, Keishin noticed the glances also.

"Hey, we'll go easy on you, okay? Don't want to hurt that pretty little face," the blonde one smirked.

Keishin's hands balled into a fist. It had been a long time since he had been jealous of anything - no, it was not jealously, he knew she saw nothing in them, but his blood was boiling, he was unsure what he was feeling, but he was already walking forward to give them a piece of his mind.

"Yeah please don't," Yuki answered in a sickly sweet voice, grabbing his arm and stopping him. Her other hand came to his face. "I would like him to stay pretty," her hand tapped the side of his cheek. The boy's smirks dropped, and she walked away to the back of the court, Keishin's shoulders relaxed, and fist unclenched, a smug grin now on his face. Yuki could handle herself, it may not have been the punch in the face that he wanted, but it wiped the stupid grins off their faces. And if anything, she would show them up during the game.

Yuki held the ball at the end of the court. Earlier she had not attempted a jump serve, thinking it would be too hard, running on the sand before the jump would ruin her momentum too much to allow her to get the height for a powerful serve. But watching the match before her's, she saw some of the players doing a jump serve without the run-up.

Yuki took a deep breath before throwing the ball up, jumping a second after, she raised into the air, it was only when the ball started to fall she realised she mistimed the jump. Her eyes widened; she needed to hit the ball before her feet touched the floor. She swung her arm forward, her fingers tips barely reaching it.

The whistle blew, no one said a word. Keishin turned around eyebrow raised. His eyes glanced to her, and then down to the volleyball that was only a few steps away from her.

"I-I may have mistimed my jump..." she mumbled, eyes focused on her twidling fingers. Keishin smiled and walked over to her as the oppositions got ready to serve. He pulled her head close to his chest, ruffling her hair and kissing the top of her head.

"Don't worry about it; you'll get the next one." She looked up to him and smiled, nodding.

Both got into their positions as the brown-haired boy served. It was to no surprise that he had purposely aimed for Yuki after her extremely terrible attempt at a serve. She reached her arms to the right, receiving it with ease - though it did sting slightly, they had power no doubt - sending the ball directly back to Keishin. She said nothing as she sprinted to the other side of the court, he set the ball backwards, she learnt during the three v three the best way to jump for a spike, she could not get as much height as she usually would, but it was enough.

Yuki spiked the ball down with ease before the blonde boy could jump for a block.

"Good job!" Keishin placed out his hands for her to high five.

"Whoo!" She cheered, sending her hands down against his, the slapping sound as loud as their friend's cheers.

"What the hell was that speed?" The blonde boy muttered, staring wide-eyed.

"And the height of that jump..." The brown boy added.

"THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR TRYING TO FLIRT WITH MY SISTER DUMBASS!" Yú yelled from the sidelines.

The match was back and forth, but Keishin and Yuki kept a three-point lead for most of the game. The boys were strong players, but they had nothing on the chemistry between Keishin and Yuki or the skill that Yuki brought when in a game. Yuki was dominant on the offence, though her defensive was not as strong, Keishin filled that gap. Most of the time neither talked about what play they were going to do, trusting each other in the moment, confusing their opponents and by the time they realised what was happening, they were too late.

The score was 20 - 24 for Keishin and Yuki. She stood at the end of the court. She had attempted the jump serve a few times, each time failing, though each time she improved. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_ This time will be the one. _

She opened them to meet Keishin's eyes. He gave a simple nod before turning to face the net. No matter how many times she failed, he still believed in her.

She threw the ball up; she was missing her rhythm. Without her steps, she was unable to nail down the timing.

_ One, Two, Three. _

She bent her knees and shot up. A sweat drop rolled down the side of her face as she stared intensely at the ball falling back down. Her left arm swung forward, her palm connected with the ball, but it was slightly higher than usual. She held her breath as she watched it fly forward. It was low. The ball hit the top of the net before rebounding upwards and towards the opponent's side of the court. Both boys drove forward for the ball, their hand inches away from it before it touched the fall.

"Yes!" Yuki's hand-pulled into a fist. It was not the best of serves, but it won them the game. The two boys sighed and pushed themself's off the sand.

"Told you, you could do it!" Keishin said coming over and bringing her into a close hug.

"Yeah, it s-still wasn't very good. Was lucky it did not land on our side..."

"Only way to get better is to try. By our next match, you'll be getting it every time."

"Yuki Nishinoya and Keishin Ukai move onto the next stage!" The man with the red vest, clipboard and megaphone said as they shook hands with the two boys they had just defeated. Suddenly the audience applause faded, and whispers started between them.

"Wait, you're  _ the  _ Yuki Nishinoya? The one from Nationals? My sister's team played against you guys...that match was insane, and your jump? It all makes sense now. I'm sorry, I didn't mean any disrespect to you earlier."

"It's okay, don't worry about it. G-good match." She gave a friendly smile before walking away. Even after everything, talking about Nationals still made her uncomfortable. She still could not wrap her head around how so many people knew who she was. Keishin had told her previously.

_ "You're practically famous in the volleyball world. The 2008 Nationals final is Iconic; you inspired thousands of people around Japan, even the world. It's just one of those things you'll have to get used too." _

But realistically, Yuki did not ever think she would get used to it. She did not believe she was worth the recognition.

"Good job," Yusuke and Makoto said as Keishin and Yuki approached, taking a seat beside them.

"YOU SHOWED THOSE IDIOTS WHO'S BOSS!" Tanaka yelled, Yú just as excited as him.

\--

The next game was against another couple, though they were in their thirties - both around Keishin's height, but it did not bother her. Height meant nothing if someone lacked in skill or knowledge.

The woman started the game with a regular serve, it was easy for Yuki to receive, and she started her run as it landed in Keishin's hands. Once again, he gave her a perfect set, getting an early lead.

"Time to perfect that jump serve of yours," he told her as she walked to the end of the court. She nodded and took a deep breath.

_ One. Two. Three. _

She pushed herself into the air and swung her arm forward, her palm connected perfectly with the centre of the ball, sending it zooming past the net, It was dug up, but she did not mind, her jump serve was executed perfectly.

The rally between the two teams was good, but it was obvious to everyone that Keishin and Yuki were the stronger couple. The other two had a solid receives and would stop most of Keishin's attacks, but it was only by mere luck they ever got Yuki's.

"She's so good she even makes Keishin look good," Tankioue laughed from the sidelines.

"I heard that!" Keishin growled just before throwing the ball into the air for a serve.

The match ended 25 - 18 to Yuki and Keishin. They thanked the other couple for the game before walking to their friends. Yú practically jumped on Yuki's back, rambling about how good she played. She laughed and listened as they waited for their next match.

"This is the semi-finals now?" Keishin asked as he and Yuki walked to the court.

"Yep," she grinned.

Their opponents were an older gentleman and a teenage girl - they were grandfather and granddaughter. From the matches Yuki had seen before, they were decently strong. The grandfather was in good shape for his age and had played in his younger years, his experiencing shining through. And the granddaughter had good skill to do whatever her grandfather asked. It was an unusual but strong paring that most would underestimate.

"Let's go easy on them, okay?" Keishin mumbled to her.

"What? No, that would be disrespectful to them-"

"But he's  _ old _ ."

"He's probably the same age as your grandad, and he can kick your ass." Keishin frowned. "If we destroy them too hard then fine, we'll relax. But I watched their other match; they are strong. Just play like we always do. Okay?" Keishin nodded.

That match was the most competitive out of the three so far. The grandaughter matched Yuki's speed, but Yuki's advantage would always be her jump. The grandad's knowledge came in clutch in multiple situations, reading Keishin and Yuki's plays. Not once was either of them allow to relax, and Yuki found herself grinning for most of the game.

The match ended 25 - 21 to Yuki and Keishin.

"Good game," Yuki smiled, her arm sticking out to the younger girl. She huffed, but a nod from her grandad made her shake Yuki's hand. "What's your n-name?"

"Tansho Iwai," she answered.

"How old are you?"

Tansho raised an eyebrow but answered anyway. "14."

Yuki huff impressed, she was not even in high school yet. "You're good, kid. Keep working h-hard, and you'll be one of the best spikers in high school. If you haven't picked a school yet, Karasuno is pretty good." Yuki ruffled the girl's hair before walking off.

Their friends once again congratulated Keishin and Yuki on another win. They had made it to the final. They sat on the sand as they waited for the next semi-finals to start. Suddenly, two tall, beautiful girls with long blonde hair and blue eyes walked past the group of friends and to the court. All their jaws dropped.

"Who are they?!" Yú yelled, drool leaving his mouth.

"They are Yuki and Keishin's next opponents..." Yusuke mumbled.

"How do you know that? Don't t-they have to play the semi's first?"

"I read a thing about them when I went to get a drink. The resort does this tournament every week, and apparently, those two girls have won it every time for the last two months. They didn't even have to do the other matches before getting to the semi's..." Yuki's eyes widened as she watched them. "They call them The Lindblom Twins, from Sweeden. Bea is the taller one and Mia the shorter," Yusuke carried on. "From what I've heard people saying about them, they are unbeatable. Basically pros..."


	34. The Final

The seven watched as the next game started. The Lindblom Twins stood on one side, and two older gentlemen stood on the other.

Yuki rolled her eyes at Tanaka and Yú who were practically drooling as they watched the two girls play. She subconsciously glanced over to Keishin, wondering what he thought about the girls. She was not jealous, just _curious_.

"They're so good looking..." she mumbled.

"Agreed," Keishin answered without hesitation. Her smile slightly faltered but she tried not to show it. "I hope I look that good when I get to their age," Yuki let out a deep breath and then let out a light chuckle when she realised he was talking about the two older men who were playing.

He looked over and met her eyes. "I know you were talking about the girls. They're obviously pretty, but I don't care." He subtly reached over and took her hand into his. "You don't have to ever worry about me even looking at anyone else like _that_ . These idiots," he nodded to Yusuke and Makoto, "have been trying to set me on dates for years and nothing ever worked. I didn't even want to go on them, I didn't want a relationship full stop, but with you, something just... _clicked_." He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "You don't ever need to worry, I promise."

Yuki grew red and placed her forehead on his shoulder, feeling stupid. "I'm s-sorry. I shouldn't have even hinted that you wo-"

"It's okay. I just want you to trust me."

"I do."

"Good," he placed another kiss on the top of her head and wrapped an arm around her waist.

The score between the twins and older men was not close, the score ending 25 - 12, the twins taking the victory. The group exchanged worried glances.

"They are good..." Makoto muttered. The others murmured in agreement.

"Not called 'The Champs' for no reason," Yusuke added.

"They are so powerful..." she mumbled to herself. Part of her was terrified to face them, while the other could not be more excited about the challenge. Bea - the taller twin - was doing a run and jump serve and Yuki could not help but admire her. She watched her intensely trying her best to understand how she was doing it successfully.

"Ready?" Keishin asked as he stood, hand out for her to take. She nodded and took it, though her eyes stayed on the twins, he pulled her up with ease. "What you thinking about?"

"It's going to be hard t-to win, their tall and have high jumps and they're pretty powerful..." she looked to him, "but we've got this."

"Yeah we do," as she walked away, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. Her eyebrows raised.

"Just don't forget, you can fly higher."

Bea started the game with a powerful jump serve. It was fast, Yuki was quick to dive forward, her hand flat and digging the ball up just before it hit the floor. It went wide, Keishin ran for it as she got to her feet.

"Sorry, it's short!" He called, setting it towards her. It was short; she took a few steps towards the ball which was already falling before jumping up for it.

_Tch_

Her jump was pathetic. She would not be able to get a good spike, but she swung her arm forward anyway, her hand connected perfectly with the centre of the ball, shooting forward, inches above the net.

"OUT!" One of the twins shouted, both left it and let the ball fly past them, it did in fact, land out of bounds.

"Shit..." Yuki muttered.

"My bad," Keishin walked over.

"No, it's mine. I should have just passed the b-ball over rather than going for a spike."

He placed his hands out for her to high five. "We'll get the next one."

**0 - 1**

Yuki watched Bea's feet as she ran forward for her jump serve. Then Yuki looked up to watch the ball as it flew towards her at high speed. She once again dove forward but missed the ball as it touched the floor. The twins cheered as Yuki's hands closed into a fist.

"Damn it..."

"It's okay; we'll get the next one."

**0 - 2**

Bea did the same again, Yuki prepared her self for the dig.

"OUT!" Keishin yelled, stopping her from diving forward. The ball flew past, landing inches from the backline.

"Good call," she mumbled. If he had not called it, she was for sure going to try to dig it up. Her mind felt scrambled, and it was only three points into the game.

**1 - 2**

"Good serve, babe!" Keishin called as Yuki threw the ball into the air. She decided not to attempt the normal jump serve; she could not risk losing a point when their opponent was so strong. The ball got over the net, but Mia was able to receive it with ease, sending it up for Bea, who spiked it almost immediately. Keishin was too late for the block, but the ball was directed straight for Yuki who groaned quietly when the ball connected with her arms. Their spikes were stronger than anyone they had gone up against that day.

She shook away the pain, running forward as Keishin set the ball, she jumped up, a smiled crossed her face - it was good jump - her eyes glanced away from the ball for a moment, needing to find a place to spike, but her smile dropped. Bea's arms leaned over her like a skyscraper, her arms blocked the sun, making the world go dark. Yuki's eyes widened. She did not know what to do. Her arm launched forward, hitting the ball, but rebounding off Bea's arms and onto the floor, earning the twins a point.

**1 - 3**

Yuki landed to her feet speechless. She felt _lost_. She had never seen a wall like that before. She was so scared that she could not find a way past it. Was there a way past it? Her whole energy had dropped when she saw it towering over her.

**2 - 7**

Yuki shot into the air, her heart racing, sweat falling, and eyes wide. The sun was bright, but only for a moment as Bea jumped, covering the light and shattering her energy. She swung forward, but once again, she did not have enough power to breakthrough.

**3 - 11**

Yuki shoulder's dropped as she watched the twins high five. She breathed heavy, her mind numb. She had not done one successful spike.

"Can we have a quick timeout?" Keishin asked. The referee nodded. He walked and pulled Yuki away from everyone.

"I-I'm s-sorry..." she mumbled as stared blankly, allowing herself to get dragged to the side.

"Hey," Keishin said as he stopped walking, stopping her, so she stood in front of him. Her head hung low, her eyes vacant. "Hey!" He placed either hand on the side of her cheeks, forcing her head up to meet his eyes.

"I-I can't do i-it... every time I try...she b-blocks me."

"Then get around it."

"I d-don't know how..."

"Yes, you do."

"NO, I DON'T! I'm not the same p-person I was at N-Nationals!"

"But you're a coach! Pretend this is Hinata, he's struggling with a block, what do you tell him? How can he fight in the air?"

"I-I-I..." her eyes started to water up, she looked away, not wanting to see his disappointment. "I don't know..."

"Close your eyes." His tone was stern.

"What?"

"Close your eyes," his voice was softer that time. Yuki did as he asked. "Think back to Nationals. It's the third day. You're about to go against Ohya Tech High..."

_"Is she a high schooler?" Ikiko mumbled as they made their way to the court. Yuki said nothing as she took her position on the court. The girl that stood directly opposite her was no doubt a middle blocker and Yuki could not help but notice she did not even reach her shoulders. The girl was around 6 foot 3 and even towered over Izumi who was the tallest on Karasuno at 5'10._

_As the match between Karasuno and Ohya went on, Yuki found herself struggling against the tall middle blocker. Most of her spikes were blocked, she found herself distracted by the tall middle blocker, continuously wondering where she was on the court. Yuki was trying to play around her rather than playing her own game. Only twice had she completed a successful spike, and that was when she jumped higher than the block itself, allowing her to hit the ball over the tall middle blocker's hands._

_Yuki's head hung back, hands on her hips as she caught her breath. The set ended 15 - 24. They did not lose; they got destroyed._

_"Aren't you always the one that says we shouldn't let the opponents in our heads?" Izumi said casually before taking a sip of water. Yuki looked to her and raised an eyebrow._

_"They're not in my head."_

_"Tch, I've watched you play a lot of games Nishinoya. Never have I seen you so hesitant to go for a spike."_

_"I just don't want to lose unnecessary points. Trying to pick the perfect moment for a spike."_

_"A perfect moment for a spike?" Izumi laughed. "You're a top-three ace Nishinoya; you make moments for a spike to be perfect. Not the other way round. Don't forget how strong you are in the air."_

Yuki's eyes shot open. "I know what I need to do."

Keishin smirked. "That's my girl."

Yuki's muscles relaxed as she got into her receiving position. Her eyes stayed on the ball as the whistle blew. She heard the cheers of her brother and friends to her left, but her focused remained firm. She stepped forward, her arms coming together, the ball smacking the centre and passing it to Keishin. They met eyes, only for a second, but she felt a surge of confidence.

Yuki ran forward, Bea matched her direction. Both jumped simultaneously as Keishin set the ball. Her arms towered forward, Yuki swallowed nervously seeing the sunlight disappear, but she could not panic. Her eyes scanned the small gaps behind Bea's arms; Mia stood to the left, ready to receive.

Yuki propelled her arm forward, but last second gently pushed the ball with her fingertips, sending over Bea's hands. Mia dove forward but was unable to reach the ball as it touched the floor, earning Yuki and Kieshin a point.

"YES!" Yú and their friends cheered.

"I DID IT!" She yelled to Keishin as he ran over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Yeah you did," he replied, lifting her slightly from the ground. "Don't get in the pretty little head of yours, trust yourself. Okay?" Yuki nodded. "Good, now let's win this thing." She grinned.

**5 - 11**

Yuki wanted to attempt the run and jump serve, but decided against it as they were losing so bad, but she was confident she could get a substantial normal jump serve. With a deep breath, she threw the ball into the air.

_One. Two. Three_

She jumped, then smirked. The timing was correct. Her eyes looked forward; a spotlight glowed at the right corner of the court. With all her power, she swung her left arm forward, her palm connected with the centre of the ball, it flew past the net and straight into the corner she was aiming for, but the twins were strong. Bea moved quickly, getting behind the ball and receiving it perfectly to her sister.

The set went up, Keishin shuffled along the net, matching Bea as she jumped. She spiked it, but he was able to get a touch on it.

"ONCE TOUCH!" He yelled, looking over his shoulder to her.

"I've got it!" She called back, quickly getting behind the ball and getting a solid pass back to him.

She did not hesitate to sprint forward, ignoring any fear that could still be lingering in the back of her mind. Once again, Yuki and Bea jumped into the air, Yuki's arms swung back, her eyes looked around, she could not see Mia. As her arm was inches from hitting the ball, she twisted her arm to the side, her hand striking with the side of the ball and sending it flying past the blocker's arms, hitting the floor inches from the line.

"Nice one babe!" Keishin yelled, hands out for a high five. The crowd cheered, and Yuki felt a ping of pride hit her chest.

**16 - 17**

Sweat dripped down everyone's faces as Yuki and Keishin finally closed the score gap. The sun started to fall, but the heat was just as bad. It was not beating down on them like before; instead, the air was sticky, making it harder for them to breathe.

The taller girl served, but it was not directed at Yuki like the past ones. Keishin stumbled forward, missing the ball.

"My bad," he said as the whistle blew.

"No worries, we'll get the next one," she answered, sticking her hand for him too high five.

**17 - 19**

Bea did the same again, sending the serve directly to Keishin. This time though, he was more prepared, stepping to the side and passing the ball to Yuki. Her set was not the best, but luckily, Keishin was able to hit past the block due to his raw power and rebounded off Mia's arms.

**20 - 20**

Keishin and Yuki quickly realised that the twins were aiming their serves to Keishin on purpose; that way, Yuki would have no choice to set and him spike. Yuki could not help but feel smug; they had changed their play so she would not have to spike against them. That would give anyone a boost of confidence.

Keishin received the serve with ease, giving her a perfect pass to set the ball beside the net. Yuki jumped up, Bea followed Keishin's steps, ready to match his jump to block. But as the ball landed in Yuki's hands, instead of sending it towards him, she pushed the ball to the side and over the net.

"A SETTER DUMP?" Tanaka yelled from the crowd. Yuki smirked and looked down at Mia who attempted to dive forward and dig up the ball.

**21 - 20**

It was the first time Keishin and Yuki had the lead, and it felt good.

"YOU GOT THIS YUKI!" Yú screamed from the side as she grabbed the ball to serve. She met his gaze and gave a simple nod of her head in acknowledgement.

She jumped and sent the ball quickly over to the other side of the court. It was countered easily, Bea spiked, Yuki reached over and dug it up before it touched the floor, but Keishin had to run to get the set.

"Sorry, it's a little high!" He called as the ball soared through the air. She did not reply, her arms swinging back as she started to run.

_The ball was high._

She focused her power into her feet, with a single motion, her arms swung forward, and knee's snapped straight. She shot into the air. The audience's jaws dropped. She was nearly higher than Bea's block. Yuki watched her eyes widened. Mia was standing to the left.

She had four options.

A) A cross-shot, but the ball would go straight to Mia, but with Yuki's power it could deflect.

B) A feint, but the last time she tried, they caught her out. The twins were ready for it to happen.

C) A deflect, but Bea's hands were too far forward, if Yuki tried to hit it off her hands there was a high chance it could rebound back into her court, and they would lose a point.

D) A straight shot, but Bea lined up perfectly with her left arm, not leaving a lot of room for the shot.

Yuki grinned, she had not tried it since playing again, but she remembered she did do it when she was younger. As long as she had basic coordination, it would be fine. In an instant, she swung her right arm forward, quickly sending the ball past Bea and to the floor, though it was only inches from being out. Her aim was not accurate, but it was enough to keep the ball in the court.

The crowd cheered, and Keishin ran over to her. "I was wondering if that right hand was ever going to show itself," he chuckled. She smiled and looked up the net. That jump, it felt _good_.

"Hey, next set you give me. Do it like usual, like we are playing indoors."

"Are you sure? You were just about able to get the one I just gave you-"

"Trust me, please?"

He stared at her for a moment but nodded. "Always."

**22 - 20**

Yuki closed her eyes and focused on steadying her breathing. She had figured it out. How to jump on the sand. She couldn't explain it, but it was just like her body understood what to do. Her eyes opened, her right arm outstretched, ball in her open hand. The spotlight shone in the back left corner of the court closer to Bea, out of the two, she was worse at receiving.

Yuki threw the ball into the air; her arms swung back.

**One - Step**

**Two-Step**

**Three-Step**

**Jump!**

She flew into the air, Keishin was not looking at her, but from the twin's reaction, he knew what had happened. In less than a second, the slapping sound echoed across the beach, and the ball landed on the other side of the court before either twin could move.

"SERVICE ACE!" Yelled Tanaka, shaking Yú uncontrollably.

Her heart thumped in her chest, she looked to her red open palm, before closing into a fist, grinning.

"I thought you couldn't do it?" Keishin walked over, hand out for a high five.

"I dunno...something just, _clicked_."

"Took your time," he smirked before walking backwards to the net. "Finish this game out will ya? I'm getting hungry."

**23 - 20**

Yuki did the same again, calming herself before setting up. The twins prepared themselves, slightly standing on their tiptoes so they could move as quickly as possible. They tried not to show their worry. They did not have to deal with such a serve before, and they had to learn to deal with it quickly, it was only two-points, and Yuki and Kiehsin would win.

"WE GOT THIS!" Mia encouraged as Yuki flew into the air. Bea had no time to answer as the ball came hurtling towards her. Her arms flew out to the right, trying to catch the ball in time, but it bounced off her arms and out of bounds.

**24 - 20**

"ONE MORE POINT! ONE MORE POINT!" Tanaka and Yú chanted as Yuki threw the ball into the air again. She jumped and slapped the ball, though it was slightly higher than intended.

Bea was able to receive the ball, sending it flying into the air. Mia easily placed herself under it. Keishin followed Bea as she ran up to spike. Both jumped, but the spike shot past Keishin's block and into Yuki's arms. The ball went back up. She set herself up for the spike. They met eyes as the ball starting to fall into his hands.

"Trust me," she said, he nodded as she started her run.

Time slowed. Yuki focused all her energy on her body. If she could get the jump right, she did not need to worry about the opponents.

**One-Step**

Her foot sank into the sand.

**Two-Step**

The ball was even higher than she thought it would be.

**Three-Step**

Her feet came together; she focused all her power into her legs.

**JUMP**

She shot up at the same time as Bea, but as she slowed, Yuki continued, her body as high as her head. The ball was far higher than the block; she could see the other side with ease, the sun shining off her face as she grinned. Mia was far to the left, Yuki swung, putting all her strength into it, before slamming the ball straight over the blockers hands and directly to the sand floor.

"THAT'S MY GIRL!" Keishin yelled, hands out, pointing at her as she fell back to her feet. The whistle blew, and the crowd erupted into cheers.

"I DID IT!" She yelled, grinning from ear to ear.

"YEAH YOU DID!" Yuki jumped into Keishin's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his torso.


	35. Sunset

Keishin walked over to Yúsuke and Makoto as they watch Yuki make her way other to Yú, Tanaka and Saeko.

"Her back must be hurting from carrying you during that whole match," Yúsuke said. Keishin rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Actually, I think you held your own quite well during those games," Makoto added. "you gave her good sets throughout the whole thing."

"I don't know..." Keishin mumbled, hand scratching the back of his head, "she just made all my sets look good. No matter how I set it to her, she would find a way to make the spike work."

"I still can't believe she only starting playing again the other month, and she is this good," Makoto said, the other two hummed in agreement. "Honestly, if she keeps training and playing, I think she could make it semi-pro, even pro if she worked hard enough."

"Wasn't she already being considered for the Japan National team during Nationals?" Yúsuke asked.

"Yeah, she was. If it weren't for the accident, she would probably be a star player by now."

The three watched as she laughed with the others.

"Do you really think she's good enough to become a pro player?" Keishin asked, arms folded over his chest.

"Considering everything that has happened, yes. She has come back from not playing for four years and surpasses most people who have been playing non-stop for years. Her natural talent is unmatched, with the help of her knowledge of the game she is already better than most. With enough hard work, she could be one of the best spikers in the world," Makoto answered.

"I've got an idea..."

"That jump at the end was insane!" Tanaka yelled, "like, how did you even get that high?" he tried jumping himself.

"I-I don't know, just did," she shrugged.

"Excuse me, sorry," a man tapped her shoulder making her turn to face him," is it okay if we get a photo of you and your partner? It's for our resort website. Each week we take a picture of the winners with the trophy, but it's been the Twins for a while now, so it'll be nice to have a new face."

"Uh - yeah - yeah - o-of course. I'll get him. Where would you like it to b-be taken?"

"Just over there," he pointed to the left where a large trophy sat on a pedestal.

"Okay, we'll be there in a s-second." She ran over to the three men who were talking between themselves.

"Keishin, they want us to take a photo!" She grinned, grabbing his hand and dragging him away from his friends.

"A photo? Why?"

"Cause we won, look, there's a trophy and everything! It's for the Resort website!"

The man with the camera placed Keishin and Yuki in front of the volleyball net and gave Yuki the trophy to hold. It was just a prop and was light, but still big enough for it to be awkward to hold.

"Ready?" The man asked. Yuki lifted the trophy into the air, a large grin plastered on her face. Keishin stood just behind her, arms on his waist and eyes on her, smiling softly. "3, 2, 1."

**_Click_ **

"Perfect, thank y-"

"Can we take one more?" Keishin interrupted the man. Yuki raised an eyebrow, Keishin was not the one to enjoy taking photos.

"Oh, yeah, okay. Ready? 3," Keishin grabbed the trophy handle that was closest to him. "2," he placed his other arm around Yuki's waist, "1," he suddenly turned her to the side and pulled her close, connecting their lips.

**_Click_ **

Keishin was not one to show much public affection, but he wanted everyone to know that Yuki Nishinoya was _his_ girl, and he was her's.

Yuki's stomach erupted into butterflies at the unexpected action. She smiled into the kiss, her free hand reaching her to his face as the crowd around jested loudly. He pulled away, and they met eyes, both smiling softly, she leaned forward again and gave him a quick peck on his lips.

The sun started to fall as everyone stood by the cars back in their regular clothing, packing their stuff away. The three men talked while Yuki gave Yú a hug and high fived the Tanaka siblings.

"Drive safe, please," she told Saeko.

"I'm always safe," she replied, jumping into the front seat. Yuki mentally facepalmed, unsure why she was trusting her brother's life in her hands.

"Okay, well I see you two t-tomorrow at training. Make sure to eat something proper before you come!"

"We will!" They called back as Saeko drove off.

Yuki walked over back to the three men. Keishin wrapping an arm around her shoulder as she stood beside him. She leaned her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around his torso as they continued to talk, though she did not listen to what was being said.

"Alright, we're off. It was nice seeing you again, Yuki!" Yúsuke waved as he and Makoto walked off, she waved back before turning to face Keishin.

"We off too?" she asked.

"Nope," he answered, removing his arm from her and walking to the back of his car. Her eyebrows raised confused. "We are going for a walk."

"A walk?"

"Yep," he pulled out a bag from the boot and grabbed her hand as he started walking back to the beach. They walked hand in hand down the sand, at the edge of the water bare feet. Most of the people had left, leaving the sounds of the waves crashing filling the air. The cold water that hit her feet every time the water came up was refreshing as it was still hot. Not much was said between them as they enjoyed walking together, stealing glances every few minutes. It was peaceful, and she felt at ease.

"Just here," Keishin said suddenly, letting go of her hand and pulling a towel from the bag. He laid it out onto the sand before taking a seat. She did not question it as he pulled at her hand. She allowed him to direct her, before getting her to sit down in between his legs, facing the water.

"What are we doing?" she giggled as he wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close.

"Just watch," he replied, nodding forward across the water. Yuki was unsure what was happening, but she relaxed into his touched, her back pressed up against his chest. As minutes went by, she started to realise further down the beach; other people were also sitting on the beach, staring out at the water. Her eyebrows scrunched together, she wanted to ask but decided against it, knowing he would not tell her.

The sun fell and lined with the horizon. The orange rays mixed into one as it reflected off the light blue water. Along the border of the water in the distance, the sky became bright orange, and as she looked up, it faded into a purple as it mixed with the clear sky. Yuki's eyes widened in awe at the sight. It was _beautiful_. Her mouth was half-open, as if she wanted to say something, but was stuck on finding the right words.

"Look down," Keishin whispered in her ear. She did as he said to see a few meters into the water, the waves were lit up a neon blue. She looked left and right to see it all along the beach, as if panels ran along the seabed floor that lit up blue, making the water above shine.

Keishin spent most of the time staring at Yuki as she took in the sight. The sun finally disappeared, making the sky dark. She turned to look at him.

"That was beautiful," she said.

"I thought you'd like it."

"Did you know about the blue lights?"

"Yeah, my mum used to bring the family and me here when I was younger."

"Well, thank you for showing it to me. I loved it." He leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss.

The two laid back, looking at the stars, Yuki' head rested on Keishin's chest, his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"What do you want to do with your life, Yuki?" He suddenly asked. The question took her aback. With all the talks they had over the last few months, talking about Yuki's future had not been discussed yet.

Yuki pushed herself to a sitting position, her eyes staring out at the horizon. Keishin copied her action, though his eyes stayed on her. "I know I should be t-thinking about a viable career, one to go with the coaching so that I can make money f-for myself." She started, her eyes cast down to her twidling fingers. "But, I want to play volleyball - professionally, I know it's like a d-dream but, I don't want to do anything else. Even coaching, as much as I love it, it's not the same as playing."

Keishin smiled softly. "Do you have any idea's how to get that started? To become a professional?" She met his eyes, her eyebrows furrowed together.

"You'll support me in it?"

"Of course, can't have you hating your job." She bit down on her lip, trying to stop the large smile from forming. "It's going to be difficult; you're going to have to work dang hard. Teams don't recruit many players your age who are not already on some sort of team."

"I know, but I'll focus on i-it more after we get to Nationals." She grinned.

The two relaxed again, laying back down and enjoying each other's company, feeling at ease. Neither talked, but they did not need too, they had grown comfortable with each other to the point where words were not needed. Being by each other's side is all the other needed to be happy, and to be relaxed, and that was for all situations. Including coaching, when the team were in sticky situations, they were able to figure out an answer because they were with each other. Able to stay calm and focused.

"By the way, we have a match on Wednesday," Keishin said casually. Yuki flew up.

"A VOLLEYBALL MATCH?" She grinned.

Keishin chuckle. "Of course."

"YES!"

Eventually, the wind started to make the area chilly, and the two called it a day. The car journey was as it always was, music, dancing, laughing. Yuki sent a message to her grandad to let her know she would be out for the night.

Keishin was the first to finish having a shower and got changed into his casual clothes. He sat on the sofa waiting for Yuki, TV remote in hand, going through the different channels. He had given her some of his clothes for her to be more comfortable.

"Is it okay if I just wear the shirt? The shorts were too big," Yuki said as she walked into the room. He looked over his shoulder to see her standing in his oversized shirt; it stopped just above her knees. He gulped nervously; there was something about seeing her in his clothes that made him squirm. He had purposely not told her about wanting her to come over that night because he wanted her to be in his clothes rather than her own.

"Y-yeah, that's fine," he answered, trying his best to stop his wandering eyes.

Yuki flicked through the channels on the TV, Keishin did not pay attention as he watched her every move. Her eyes focused on the words on the screen; her hair fell perfectly onto her shoulders, and her nose and cheeks were slightly red from the sun. He could not stop himself from smiling.

"Yes, a horror!" She said, excited. "The Thing, I-I heard it was good," she grinned, looking at him. He did not care too much for the movie, as long as she was happy.

"Put it on then."

An hour into the movie, Keishin regretted letting Yuki choosing the film, he was not the best with horrors, and the last thing he wanted was to show Yuki he was scared, but he could not help it. His arm that was wrapped around her in the beginning was now holding onto a pillow that he found useful hiding behind. Every time he jumped, Yuki would laugh at him, making his cheeks go red.

Unconsciously, his breathing sped up as a man walked down the hall, the tense music starting to get louder, and he knew a jump scare was incoming. His fist clenched on the pillow.

"RAHHH!" Yuki yelled beside him. Keishin jumped, a small scream escaping his lips. Yuki burst into laughter, her arms wrapping around her stomach and laying back on the sofa.

"Ha, ha, so funny," Keishin mumbled, his cheeks burning red.

"I-I'm sorry, I just had too," she said between chuckles, sitting up. Keishin stuck his tongue out, unable to stop his embarrassment.

"I'm not great with horrors. I don't get how you're not scared! That's the point of the movie!"

Yuki's laughter died down and shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know; they just do- AHHHHHH!" Now Keishin burst into laughter as Yuki got jumped scared by a creature appearing on the TV. She puffed out her cheeks. "That does not count; it caught me off guard!" She tried to defend herself, but it made him laugh more.

"I thought they don't scare you?"

"They don't!" His laugh was contagious. "Hey, s-stop laughing, it wasn't that funny!" She grinned, she pushed herself up, and climbed on him, straddling him. His chuckles died down as he met her eyes. He swallowed nervously, already feeling the blood rushing down below. She leaned forward and connected their lips. The kiss was soft; he did not know what to do with his hands. He had never felt so nervous before. He was never very good with his words or 'romantic gestures' like in the movies, but when it came to intimacy he thought that was his area, he was confident, he knew what to do. But with Yuki? His knees became weak, like her touch made his brain and body numb.

Yuki's thumb stroked his cheek as she leaned in again, keeping the same pace as before. Gentle and soft. At times she hovered over his lips, their breath mixing before closing the gap, close to teasing him, trying to push him. Slowly Keishin's hand raised and placed them on the side of her waist. She smirked and deepened the kiss, moving her hips closer to him. He let out a slight moan; she knew he wanted more. She brought her hands to his wrist and pushed his hands down her side and stopped when they reached her ass.

"Don't worry, it's yours after all," she mumbled against his swollen lips. The comment sparked something in Keishin, like a bolt of electricity woke him up. His hands squeezed, and head raised, making the kiss deeper. Yuki was no longer in control, and she liked it like that. The kisses became rougher, and she found herself unable to control a few moans escaping her lips, and every time she did, he would squeeze her ass harder. Eventually, though, she pulled away, breathless. Her head rested on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, her face nestling into his neck, "I'm just a little tired."

"Don't be sorry, baby," he mumbled back, one hand stroked her hair while the other rested on her back. He placed a gentle kiss on her head. He was secretly relieved for it to finish, he was worried he would end up losing control and concerned he would go too far. He wanted to go at her pace; the issue was, he did not know what her pace was. She needed to take the first steps; he was happy to follow.

Not long after did Yuki's breathing steady and eyes shut. He knew she had fallen asleep and was not surprised. They had played a lot of volleyball, even he was getting tired. Carefully, he stood, ensuring to have a good hold of her and quickly fixed stiffness, making sure it was more comfortable. He wanted nothing more than to place her in his bed and have them cuddle to sleep, but he did not know if she wanted that. So, like the gentlemen he was, he placed her in the guest bedroom. His hand moved the strands of her hair from her face, before leaning down and kissing her on the head.

"Goodnight baby girl." As he went to walk away, she grabbed his wrist; he turned to her, eyebrows raised.

"Goodnight my pretty setter," she smiled gently, before letting go and falling into a deep sleep. Keishin left the room, unable to control his smile. He was falling and was falling hard.

That was the last day in months that they would spend so closely, but one that neither would forget.


	36. Another Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If anyone likes Attack on Titan I have both a Levi story and Jean story published and on going <3

The last few days were close to exhausting for Yuki who spent most of her time with the Karasuno boys coaching. She enjoyed coaching them, but spending all day with them was draining. Most of the time she was alone as Keishin had to work at the store, and sometimes the boys got a little too excited.

But even after a whole day with the team, Yuki was practically bouncing with excitement as she and the rest of the Neighbourhood Association Team warmed up for their match. She was grinning from ear to ear as she jogged around the court. Yusuke and Makoto by her side - though she already lapped them by then.

She was already halfway through stretching when the others finished their warm-up. She got into general chit chat with the team, not noticing the two new people that entered the hall. Keishin sat by her as she put on her kneepads. 

"Can I ask a favour?" she asked him.

"Of course."

"When you set, c-can you try to do it a little higher than you usually do?"

"Higher?" his eyebrows scrunched together, and his mouth turned into a lopsided grimace. "Are you sure?" his nose scrunched up.

She nodded and leaned into his arm, her head resting on his shoulder, looking up at him with wide eyes and a large grin. "Pleaseeeee." His face relaxed, a small smiling forming. "If I can't reach it, w-we won't try again."

His eyebrows raised, and after a moment said, "alright, just don't be upset if you can't reach it." His finger lightly tapped her nose. "I know how you can be."

The game started, Yuki stood beside Keishin and Yuksue in the front while Makoto served. She still did not notice the two new people sitting at the side of the room—her focus remaining on the opponents. The ball was put into play, and she zoned in. In some sense, that was the main thing that made the Nishinoya siblings similar. They were both loud and energetic off the court, but when on, they were surprisingly quiet. She watched - observed - only talking when she needed too.

After a few points being scored back and forth, she understood her opponents. They were strong, but they had their downfalls too. Yuki watched as the ball landed in Keishin's hands.

"NOW!" She yelled for the first time that match, running forward. He met her eyes; he knew what she wanted. As she ran ahead, she thought back to the beach, she thought about how she jumped high even when on the sand. She could not stop the smirk growing as she saw the ball; he set it higher than usual. She shot up; three blockers matched her. She swung her arm forward, her palm connected with the centre of the ball. She was not fussed with the power of her hit despite the three-person block, because her impact was higher than it all together. The ball slammed to the floor before the oppositions Libero could reach it.

"I GOT IT!" She yelled, grinning, her fist punching into the air when her feet touched the floor. "Keishin did you see? I did it!"

"Yeah, I saw..." Keishin chuckled gently, his jaw ajar, the same as everyone else who saw her jump.

"How the fuck did she do that then?" Yusuke mumbled as Yuki walked over to him, Keishin and Makoto.

"Could you always jump that high?" Makoto asked.

Yuki shook her head. "It's like I-I combined how I jumped on the sand with how I normally jump. I-I don't know how else to explain it," her cheeks grew slightly red at the attention she caused. "I can't do it every time, though. It takes a lot of energy, so maybe we should have s-some sort of signal for it?" she looked to Keishin.

"Yeah, sure. Any ideas?"

Yuki brought her hand to her chin as she thought. "Can't I just yell again? Because I kind of have to like f-feel it. It is not a thing I decide to do before the play starts," her cheeks once again burned as the three men gave her odd looks. "It's hard to explain..." she mumbled nervously.

"Alright," Keishin smiled, "just give me a shout, and I'll give you a high set."

The match continued, and the Neighbourhood Asscitionaion Team were far in the lead, mainly thanks to Yuki Nishinoya who got many of the points from her serves. She was on a different level to everyone that was playing on both teams, but the oppositions were not going to give up so easily. Some liked the challenge; others did not want to lose to a girl.

"SHIT! Too high!" Keishin yelled as he set the ball. Yuki reached the best she could but was only able to get her fingertips to touch it, however, not enough to send the ball over. "Shit, sorry," Keishin mumbled as Yuki's feet touched the floor, losing them a point.

"It's okay. I nearly got it, though!" She grinned, unfazed by the bad set. She gave him a high five before moving to her position. Keishin relaxed, he had not realised he was so tense. He unconsciously put weight on his shoulders to do well, to do well for Yuki. Even someone as amazing as her could not fix a set as the one he just gave. But she did not care, she did not look even in the slightest bit annoyed, and that comforted him. She was just happy to play, but he wanted to make sure she could play to the best of her abilities. His eyes wandered over to the two non-players that sat to the side. He wondered how well Yuki would play if she had a setter that was on her level.

-

"They've learnt t-that when I shout that means I want a high ball," Yuki said to the team as a timeout was called. "Should we change the sign?" she looked to Keishin.

"Why?" he answered unbothered.

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Cause they'll counter us?"

"That worries you?" Her head tilted to the side at his words. "Take the counter head-on. Adapt to it, play around it. Show them that you'll win the point either way."

"What if I can't?"

"You will."

-

"NOW!" Yuki yelled, starting her run-up to the net. Her eyes glanced around. She was looking for the counter. Before she shot up, she realised no one in the opposition moved to block her; every member of the team waited in their receiving position. Her eyebrows scrunched together. Her eyes frantically scanned the court, no matter where she looked; there was no gap for the ball - except for one. She flew into the air. Her arm swung forward, but instead of hitting the centre of the ball, her hand rose slamming it down from above, sending the ball downwards, skimming the net, where no one could get close to receiving it.

"I'm done," Yusuke said, hands flying into the air. "HOW THE HELL DID SHE JUMP EVEN HIGHER?" No one could believe their eyes. "HAVE YOU GOT MINI TRAMPOLINES HIDDEN IN THESE SHOES?" He asked, grabbing Yuki's foot, checking underneath them for springs. She chuckled lightly - though she nearly lost her balance.

"I told you, it's j-just a feeling I get. My body just knows what to do." Yuki replied. She looked over to Keishin who smirked and gave a sly wink before the game continued.

The game ended with the Neighbourhood Assitiontion team winning both sets with ease. The opposition gave Yuki many compliments when they all shook hands. Her cheeks burned red as she said her ' _ thanks _ ' unsure how to take them.

"Hey, I left my water bottle by the fountain, any chance you could grab it for me?" Keishin asked as everyone started to pack their stuff away. Yuki nodded and jogged away. 

Her eyebrows scrunched together when there was not a water bottle anywhere in sight. As she started to walk back to Keishin, she heard a familiar voice. "Yuki Nishinoya?"

_ "Are you sure you want to bring your brother with all of - us? You know how he gets, and I'm sure some of the girls are scared of him." _

Yuki's frozen mouth broke into a small smile as a memory flashed before her.

_ "I can't believe you told us the wrong door Yuki!" _

_ "I'm sorry! I thought she said red, not right!" _

_ "They don't even sound the same!" _

Yuki let out a light chuckle as she turned.

_ "Strong enough to go to Nationals?" _

_ "Strong enough that we can get through the inter-highs and into the Spring High Tournament. This won't be like the last two years; our team is different now, we have lots of potential compared to before. It's just about how we use it. I need you to believe that we will be the reason the crows can fly." _

_ "You were always good with your words." _

Yuki eyes sparkled as she looked at the girl in front of her. Slowly her long hair in a ponytail became short and stopped just under her jaw.

_ "A perfect moment for a spike? You're a top-three ace Nishinoya; you make moments for a spike to be perfect. Not the other way round. Don't forget how strong you are in the air." _

Her dark eyes were wide and moist; she was slightly taller than Yuki remembered. They smiled at each other.

"Izumi?" Yuki managed to say. The woman's face lit up and nodded, Yuki ran forward, wrapping her arms around her. Tears sprung to both their eyes. It had been years, and memories flooded Yuki's mind. Izumi was more than a friend or a teammate; she was like a sister. They would spend hours together both on and off the court—they ere each other's rock from the very beginning.

"I wasn't sure if you'd remember me," Izumi mumbled, holding Yuki tighter.

"I do, I r-remember," Yuki replied, her voice soft as she tried to hold back more tears from falling. Yuki pulled away, holding her old friend at arm's length. "You look great."

"So do you. You were amazing, all I could think about was our last year at Karasuno together."

Yuki smiled softly and let go, wiping away the tears as she chuckled softly. She was overwhelmed with emotion. "How have you b-been? What are you doing now?" Yuki then realised the man standing next to Izumi, she quickly found her manners, sticking out her hand to him. "Sorry, you must b-be Izumi's boyfriend?"

"Oh, no, no - us? What? No, we - uh - friends." Both babbled, cheeks growing red. Yuki raised an eyebrow as they awkwardly chuckle.

Izumi cleared her throat. "His name is Jiro Fujimoto. He's the scout for the Japan team."

"Scout?"

"I play for the Japan National Team. The higher-ups got a phone call the other day; I think his name was Ukai," Yuki's eyebrows raised confused. "He insisted he talked to me. I don't know how he convinced them to let him through, but, he told me about you that you were playing again, that your memories were coming back. Once I heard that I had to come to see for myself."

Yuki swallowed, her eyes glancing back at Keishin at the other end of the hall, she smiled softly. "He never told me about that..."

"He didn't want to put any pressure on you."

"Why would t-there be pressure to see an old friend? This is amazing!"

"Not because of me, because of him," she nodded to Jiro.

"I go all around the country looking for potential players to be part of the Women's National Team. I normally only go to pro or semi-pro matches, but Izumi insisted that I came here today." Yuki's widened, she finally understood where the conversation was going. "You're good. Ukai said you had not played for four years? Only started again a few months ago?" Yuki nodded slowly. "Impressive. Especially that jump of yours. Have you been training? Like workouts for your legs?"

"Um-" suddenly Yuki's mouth felt dry. "No - not really. Just some r-running."

Jiro nodded. "Well, you've still got a lot to work on - in the end, these guys you are playing with now don't come close to the pro level. But, if you worked hard, it's possible." Yuki heart was beating hard, part of her worried that Jiro could hear it. "The next trial for Japan is in January; it'll be near Toyko Metropolitan Gymnasium. Do you think you'll be ready by then?"

"Y-Y-Yes!" She blurted out before she could think.

"You'll have to work hard."

"I will!"

Jiro smiled. "Well then, I officially invite you the Japan Women's National Volleyball Team Trials. I'll send all the details to Ukai, if that's okay."

"Yes, that's p-perfectly fine!" She grinned, trying her best to control her excitement.

**_ Beep Beep _ **

Izumi looked down at her phone. "Shit, we've got to get going. Nishinoya, it's been amazing seeing you again. I'll send Ukai my number; I'm going to be out of the country for a while. But I'll see you at the trials, okay?" Izumi said, already walking to the exit with Jiro.

"Okay!"

"Message me!"

"I will!" Yuki called back as the two left the building. "KEISHIN!" Yuki screamed, turning on her heels and sprinting towards him. She jumped on him, wrapping her arms and legs around him. He only just caught himself from falling by leaning on the wall.

"What the hell-"

"I DID IT!" She yelled, cutting him off and standing on her own. Her eyes flashed, and her grin broad. "I'VE GOT A TRIAL FOR THE JAPAN NATIONAL TEAM!" Keishin's expression matched hers as he caught on; he grabbed her close again.

"YES! I KNEW IT WOULD WORK!" He pulled away and grabbed her face, his palms squashing her cheeks. "You. Are. Amazing." He said between planting firm kisses onto her pouted lips.

"Me?" she pushed his hands away. "You set this up! I can't believe it! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry. I knew if you messed up because of it, you'd never forgive yourself." Yuki grew red. He had a point.

"You know me too well," she mumbled, wrapping her arms around his torso and placing her cheek on his chest.

"You're going have to work hard, you know. it's not going to be easy."

"I know." She looked up at him. "And I have the perfect plan."


	37. The Key To Improving

Yuki stood outside the building that brought her many memories. She wished she could have had a moment to be nostalgic, but the sound of Hinata yelling from the back garden did not allow for it. She sighed softly and made her way around the back of the building. She stood to the side, watching Hinata as he practised.

"How can I help you today, Nishinoya?" Yuki jumped at Old Coach Ukai's voice. She did not think anyone knew she was there. She cleared her throat and walked forward out from the shadows.

"Wanted to come to see h-how he's doing," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest, coping his stance.

"He's doing well. As energetic as ever."

"Always is."

The two stood together and watched in silence. Yuki knew the real reason she was there, and she assumed Coach Ukai also knew she was there for more than just seeing Hinata practise.

"I heard you're dating my grandson." Coach Ukai said nonchalantly, Yuki's eyes widened, before looking to the ground, her cheeks growing red.

"Yes, I am," she mumbled, feeling embarrassed. "I hope I have your blessing," she joked softly.

" _ Hmm _ . You're too good for him, you know." Her head snapped to look at him, her eyebrows furrowed together.

"Me too good for K-Keishin?" He did not look at her but gave a nod. She huffed a laugh. "I think you'll find i-it's the other way around, sir." Ukai's eyebrows raised, his eyes glancing to her. He was unconvinced. 

"Your grandson is amazing, sir." She started, finding a sudden urge to defend her other half. "He's the reason I'm able to play again. He helped me when he didn't need too. He changed his work schedule so he could coach Karasuno, he does tons of research on the side, so when we go into a match, we'll have the advantage. If im honest, I don't think he needs me. He could take them to Nationals by himself." Ukai gazed in the distance, watching Hinata, though she knew he was still listening. "He's the reason I have to another chance to be a pro." Ukai eyes met hers in an instant.

"A pro?"

"Keishin b-brought a scout to our match yesterday. A Scout for the women's national team. I have a trial in January." Ukai's eyes widened then relaxed, smirking, arms on his waist.

"That's why you're here. You want me to train you?"

"Yes. I need to be better than I-I was at Nationals, but I've only got a few months. You're the only one that can do it."

Ukai's eyes glanced back to Hinata. "I won't go easy on you."

"I wouldn't come to you if I-I wanted it to be easy."

He looked back and huffed a laugh. "Fine, if you're willing to put in the work.

"I am."

"Then I'll see you at 7 am tomorrow."

"7  _ am _ ? Can't we do after I coach with K-Karasuno? Like _ pm _ ?"

"We are."

"B-b-b-"

"We're doing both. You've got a long way to go if you want to be the same player you were at Nationals. If that's too much for you, might as well call it quits now."

Yuki smiled. It had only been a few seconds, and he was already testing her. "I'll be here. Both at pm  _ and  _ am." She looked past Ukai and to Hinata. "Hinata lets g-get going to practise!" She yelled, already walking away.

"We start tomorrow morning. Don't be late!" Coach Ukai called after her.

"I won't!"

-

Keishin arrived when the practice was in full swing, and the boys were drenched in sweat. He never was big with affection around others, but he always found a way to give her a sneaky kiss without getting teased by the boys - especially Tanaka.

As the evening hit, the boys got a drink preparing for the practise match between themselves like they did at the end of every training sessions. However, Keishin had another idea in mind.

"Alright, come in," he called. All the boys gave each other confused glances but did as he asked. Even Yuki stood beside him, eyebrows raised. "One of the biggest things we are going have to face during the spring nationals is the strong aces each team has." Yuki's eyebrow stayed raised, it was topic they had gone over before, "The main one being Ushiwakai from Shiratorizawa."

"Coach, we went over this the other day..." Yú said, his voice weary, he felt rude to interrupt.

"I know. So tell me, why do so many teams struggle against him?"

"Because of his left hand."

Keishin finger clicked and pointed to Yú. "Exactly. We have a long way to go before we face him, but, I don't seem the harm in practising against it."

"Someone left-handed?" Daichi questioned. Keishin nodded. "Do you mean from another team, Coach?"

Keishin shook his head.

"Coach Nisninoya!" Hinata pipped up, surprising everyone. "She's left-handed!"

"Exactly," Keishin smirked.

"W-WHAT? ME?" It was not the direction Yuki expected the conversation to go.

"The team need to practise going against strong,  _ different  _ spikers. And you need all the practise you can get for the trail."

"Trial?" Yú questioned.

Now Yuki understood. She had not decided yet to tell the team about her trial or not, not wanting to distract them, but it seemed Keishin decided for her.

"Yeah - uh -" she chuckled awkwardly, her eyes averting her brother's feeling embarrassed by all the eyes on her. "A scout came t-to our match yesterday."

"A scout?! For which team?" He started to get excited.

"Japan..."

"JAPAN?!" Hinata and Yamaguchi yelled at the same time.

"As in Japan National Team?" Daichi asked. Yuki nodded, her cheeks heating up. 

Suddenly Yú and Tanaka yelled loudly, cheering while the third years congratulated her and Kageyama and Hinata asked her thousands of questions, making her head spin.

"Alright, let's relax, time to refocus-" Keishin tried to say, but got cut off by Hinata.

"YOU'RE SO AWESOME COACH NISHINOYA-"

"REFOCUS!" Keishin grabbed the younger boys head, moving him away from Yuki. She grinned lightly as he started making teams. She was lucky to have the boys. They had her back, and she grateful for it.

"I want to Yuki's team Coach," Yú told Keishin, expression stern.

"I know you do, but I need you receiving her spikes. It'll be great practise for you." Keishin answered.

"I need to be on her team-"

"Hey Noya," Daichi joined the conversation. "I'm not as good as you, but I'll have her back. I promise." Yú's eyes softened.

"Don't worry; we'll be switching the teams around each day anyway." Keishin ruffled Yú's hair before walking away.

Yuki stood at the end of the court. On her team, she had Daichi, Suga, Tanaka, Narita and Yamaguchi. They all gave her bright smiles before turning their attention to the others. Tanaka started yelling trash talk as Keishin made his way to her.

"Can't forget this," he said, handing her, her helmet.

"You had this planned all along," she replied knowingly.

"Maybe."

"Why didn't you t-tell me?"

"Cause you would end up saying something along the lines of  _ 'I can't join in because then the priority becomes about me rather than the team'. _ " Yuki had to hold down a chuckle as his voice grew a pitch higher as he tried to imitate her. Her eyes looked to the ground, her tongue in cheek. Despite the terrible imitation, he had a point, that was most likely what she would have said. "This will be good for both you  _ and  _ the team. Okay?" She looked up to meet his eyes.

"Okay."

"Good now kicks their asses."

The practise game was interesting. All of the boys were better than the people she had been playing against - they matched the Swedish twins' skill from the beach tournament, but Yuki still found ways to get her team points despite this. It was also the first time she was playing with a setter than was not Keishin, at first it was strange, she almost felt like she was playing behind his back, but every time she looked his way he would give her a wink, claiming her nerves.

The boys were all sweet, maybe a bit too much. Every time Suga gave her a set, he asked if it was okay or apologized that it was bad - though it never was. Daichi was just as much as a Guardian as Yú was, he always had her back, ensuring to stay close when she spiked. It made Yuki wondered whether he did that because Yú told him too, or because he worried about her accident. Either way, it was nice to have him there, he was a defensive specialist, and it was reassuring knowing he had her back.

"Alright, ready to practise some receives?" Keishin said to Yuki, clapping his hands and rubbing them together as the boys starting collecting their stuff.

"Right, about that," she sighed softly. Keishin raised an eyebrow. "I won't be t-training with you anymore." His eyes widened, and her heart pinged with pain at the betrayal on his face. "N-not because you're bad!" She panicked. "Y-you're just so busy, with the store, a-and the farm and the team-"

"So? You know I make time for you - always."

"I know," she brought his hands to hers. "But you need to focus on the team."

"I can do both, and the store, it's fine-"

"No, it's not. I don't want my t-training to interfere with you or the t-team at all."

Keishin's mouth was agape as he tried to process her words. "But you need to train."

"I will."

"You won't be able to reach your maximum potential alone Yuki!" He was growing frustrated. "This is your future we're talking about, the team is my priority, but I'm not just going to let you do this alone."

"Who says I'm alone?" His eyebrows pulled together. She sighed softly. "I asked your grandad, h-he said he's happy to train me."

"My Grandad?" she nodded. "Huh." He turned away and pulled his hand from her and scratched the back of his neck. Suddenly she felt a ping of guilt in the pit of her stomach.

"Keishin, I'm sorry! It's n-nothing against you. You're amazing, and I love our training sessions, but you're just busy, and I don't want to overwork y-"

"No, no," he suddenly laughed. "Don't be sorry you idiot."

"Huh?"

He turned to face her again, grinning. "It makes perfect sense for the shitty old man to train you. Can't believe I didn't think about it." Yuki relaxed. "I'll miss our training sessions, but this will be better for you, for sure."

She grinned. "I'll be training in the m-morning and evening. So, in between that and the team, I'll come to the store so that we can hang out."

"You don't have to that. You'll end up just being as busy as me."

"I want too; I like spending time w-with you."

Keishin grew pink and took a step closer to her, his hands landing on her waist. He met her eyes. "Okay, well, if you need any other help with training. You tell me, okay?"

"Well, there is one thing you could help me with."

"Which is?"

-

** BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. **

Yuki groaned loudly, her hand flew To the side to grab her phone. Her eyes squinted open as the light blinded her. She looked to the top right corner of her phone.

_ 5:50 am. _

And below read:

**_ Caller:  _ **

**_ Keishin Ukai _ **

She swiped up on the green icon.

"Wakey wakey baby," he said down the phone, even though he tried to sound upbeat she could tell he was as tired as she was. She only groaned in response; her eyes shut again. "Come on, got to get up."

"I know, but I'm tired..." she mumbled in response.

"You'll feel less tired when you get out of bed."

"But I don't want to move," her words came out muffled as she planted her face into her pillow.

"Don't make me come over there. But remember if I do, I'll be late for work, and then my Ma-"

"I'm up!" She forced herself into a sitting position. He chuckled.

"Good. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah..." she huffed, head falling into her hands. Her eyes glanced to the phone as it grew silent. "Keishin."

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. I'll see you later." She hung up the phone and looked around. She did not want to move but knew she needed too. She opened her curtain; the sun was starting to rise. She had twenty minutes to get breakfast and dressed before leaving for her forty-minute jog to Coach Ukai's.

Yuki had just about woken up when she made her way outside. The sun was high in the sky, and even though it was, 6:20  _ am _ it was warm. There was no doubt in her mind that by the afternoon she would sweating just by walking around. She checked her bag one more time to ensure she had everything - Keishin had sent her a message with a checklist of things she needed - before jogging off. She had been jogging most mornings - but never so early before - and by now she knew Miagyi quite well.

"I was starting to worry you were going to be late," Coach Ukai said as Yuki turned up to the house at 6:59.

"No sir was j-just warming up."

He raised an eyebrow. "You jogged here?"

"Yes, sir." He nodded slowly.

"Good, then let's get started."

The first session was for one main reason, so Coach Ukai could correctly asset Yuki's volleyball skills. He pounded her with spikes for her receive, made run back and forth for which felt like hours, made her jump until she could not feel her legs any more. He yelled different tempos for her to follow when going for the spikes, purposely giving her bad sets to try and fix. After hours, Yuki laid on the floor, breathing heavily as the sun beat down on her skin.

"You're better than I thought," Coach Ukai started, throwing her a bottle of water. It landed beside her, though she was too tired to reach for it as it started rolling away. "Your lucky your body never forgot. You worked yourself so hard you naturally move with the right techniques - though they all need cleaning up, your receives are sloppy." Yuki nodded understandingly, remember back to only an hour ago where she fumbled most of her receives when he was spiking. "Your stamina is good, your jump even better, but your power is shit. You cannot rely on outsmarting your oppositions forever."

Yuki forced herself into a sitting position, her arms resting on her knees as she started to catch her breath. He was right. Her power was lacking, and she did try to find ways around a block rather than facing it.

"We'll call it a day, go again tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? What about t-this evening?"

Ukai shook his head. "We're only going to do training once a day for a while."

"Why?" Yuki stood.

"The last thing you need right now is to get injured," he shot back before she could argue. "Your body is not used to being pushed so hard yet. Resting is just as important." Yuki said nothing, glaring at the ground. "If you want me to coach you," he poked her forehead, making her look up, "then you do everything that I say—no more playing or exercising. Rest, and eat properly. You need to be in the best shape if you want any chance of getting in the Japan team."

After a moment, she sighed softly and nodded her head. She was not happy with the decision, but she needed to trust him. He was a legendary coach for a reason; she was lucky to have him.

"Yes, sir."

From then on, Yuki was in a routine. Waking up early, jogging, training with Coach Ukai, going to the store to work with Keishin before coaching the Karausno boys. Unfortunately, strict orders from Coach Ukai meant she could no longer play with the Karasuno boys until he gave the go-ahead. Which sucked, but she understood why. Because each day her body was aching after training, sometimes to the point where she struggled to walk. Keishin laughed watching her and often teased her, but he always gave her a lift home nonetheless.

-

"Hey, if anything is wrong, you tell me, okay?" Keishin told Yuki as they got off the bus.

It had been two weeks, and the team were at the qualifying rounds for the Spring Interhigh National tournament. Karasuno needed to win both their games to qualify for the main part of the tournament.

"I know. But I have a-a feeling I'll be fine. I feel like a different person t-to who I was a few months ago." She smiled up at him; he seemed to relax at her words.

The first team they were against was Ohgiminami High. Yuki bounced with excitement as she watched Karasuno crush their opponents. And it was not just because of the new moves, in general, the team had gone up multiple steps since the training camp. They were more confident in themselves and their teammates. They were hesitating less, reading the plays better and Yuki could not stop smiling.

"That's what they get for underestimating us..." Yuki grinned. She had heard mutterings around the building about 'Fallen Crows' she hated the name and was glad that the boys could show that it no longer suited them.

The match ended, Karasuno winning both sets with ease. "Good job, b-boys!" She grinned as they grabbed their water bottles. She high fived all of them, even Tuskishima gave in and gave her one - though she was sure he only did because Daichi was giving him a dark glare.

"Right, who are we going a-against next?" She asked Keishin as he and Takeda walked over to her.

"Kakugawa High," Takeda replied.

Yuki racked her brain as she tried to remember all the teams her and Keishin went through. "Isn't that the one t-that has that super tall first year?"

"Yep, that's the one," Keishin replied.

"Perfect..." Yuki sighed.

"Hey, what's the face. Not doubting our boys are we?" Keishin chuckled. Her cheeks grew hot,  _ 'our boys'  _ made something in her stomach flip.

"Uh, n-n-no never! We-e got this!" She quickly turned and walked to the hall, hiding her red cheeks. Keishin and Takeda gave each other confuse glances but said nothing, following behind her.

Yuki could not help her jaw drop when she saw the tall first year - his name was Yūdai Hyakuzawa. She felt tiny, and she was not even standing close to him.

"Damn, he really is tall," Keishin muttered as he stood beside her.

"Now you know how I f-feel around you," she grinned.

"Eh, you're not  _ that  _ small." He placed his arm on top of her head, using her like an armrest. She playfully glared at him, making him chuckle. "What?" he said innocently.

-

Yuki's foot tapped nervously as Tsukshima started off the game. Keishin quickly placed his hand on her knee, stopping it, though he did not look her way. He did it both to prevent the tapping but also to calm her nerves which suddenly she had no control over.

Kakugawa quickly received the ball and set it to the six-foot-seven first year - Hyakuzawa. If she had someone that tall on her team, she would have done the same. Kageyama, Hinata and Tanaka jumped for a triple block, but it did not matter, Hyakuzawa's hand connected with the ball above the block, getting Kakugawa the first point of the game.

"Well, this isn't good..." Yuki muttered.

Yuki sat forward, her elbow resting on her knee, her chin pinched between her thumb and index finger as she thought deeply. Karasuno kept losing points due to Hyakuzawa's height. They could not block him or get their spikes past him. She closed her eyes and imagined herself on the court. What would she do if she was playing right now? She needed to analyze her opponent first. See what she could use to her advantage. Her eyes reopened, and she watched the Hyakuzawa intensely.

"Call a timeout," she said to Keishin and Takeda after a few minutes. They did not question it, and the whistle blew. All the boys came in and got a drink, crowding her and Keishin.

"No matter how high I jump, it gets hit from above me! What am I suppose to do?!" Hinata panicked.

"First off, calm down," Yuki started, making her presence known. "I've been w-watching him, and I've realized a few things." They all looked at her. "I don't think he's been p-playing volleyball for a long time, so he's still learning the game, I don't think he c-can hit a shot in multiple directions. He only shoots c-cross-court, in whichever way his body is facing. So when he's taking a shot, you can d-disregard any possibility of a line-shot. Make it an easy receive for Yú to r-receive. Got it?"

"Yeah!" They yelled. The whistle blew for them to get back on the court. Yuki sat back down onto the bench beside Keishin.

"Good spot," he said.

" _ Mhm _ , if I'm correct..."

"When aren't you correct?"

"Hey," she looked to him. "it's only a-as your girlfriend I'm correct all the time. As a coach, there is a high possibility of me being incorrect." Keishin raised an eyebrow but said nothing else as they paid attention back to the match. But, Yuki was, in fact, correct with her statement, Yú was able to receive to Hyakuzawa spikes. She could not help but feel pleased with herself.

Keishin found himself with a numb arm by the time the first set ended, Hinata and Kageyama successfully completed their super quick attacks. Every time Yuki would punch Keishin's arm in excitement - not that she realized she was doing it. But he did not mind, the last thing he wanted to do was squash her excitement, he liked seeing her smiling from ear to ear, even at his expense.

"Good job, good job, good job, good job!" Yuki said as she gave multiple of the boy's high fives as they won the first set.

"She didn't stutter..." Yú grinned softly.

"Yeah, she rarely does anymore," Keishin said beside him, arms crossed over his chest. Yú looked up to him and smiled.

"Thanks, Coach." Nothing else was needed to be said, Keishin new why the boy was thanking him, though he did not think he needed or deserved it. After all, Yuki was the one who was taking the steps forward; he was just nearby incase she tripped.

The second set was just as chaotic as the first, and Hyakuzawa was getting stronger as time went on. Though for every point he scored, Karausno scored three. They were not just using Kageyama and Hinata's quick attack; they were using everything in their arsenal. Karasuno did not just revolve around the quick attack anymore.

Karausno was on set point, they received the ball well of Hyakuzawa spike, and it went up for Hinata. But he was unable to score a point against Hyakuzawa on a normal attack. Hinata jumped, a three-person block followed, Hyakuzawa in the middle. Yuki stood, she knew what he needed to do, but she could not find her voice, still after everything, yelling out in public with so many people, her body froze. Her eyes widened, but a smile formed when Hinata launched the ball upwards, hitting the fingertips of Hyakuzawa- just like he did during the three on three during the training camp - and winning Karausno the game.

"WHOO HOO!" She cheered with the boys. "Hey," she ruffled Hinata's hair as he grabbed his water bottle. "Even Bokuto would have been proud of that."

"You think?" His eyes sparkled.

"I'm sure of it. G-good job kid."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:
> 
> I know the story slow rn. I apologize
> 
> But just stick with me, trust me XD
> 
> And there are only about 10 chapters to go, so thank you so much if ya still reading with each update
> 
> This will be the last update until new year/Christmas
> 
> So I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year but please stay safe!
> 
> Much love,
> 
> KarasunoParkingLot <3


	38. Routine

Yuki had gotten into the routine quickly. Even to the point where Keishin did not have to phone her each morning to wake her up. Her body was in a natural cycle. It had only been a week, but she was already feeling stronger than before. She had shortened her jog time to Coach Ukai's by 5 minutes and was sure that she could do the original 40 minutes run into 20 minutes by January.

"Alright, the stock is checked and done," Yuki said as she grabbed her bag, standing beside the counter as Keishin grabbed his stuff.

"Good. Ready to go?" She nodded to his question.

Coach Ukai gave her the next morning off, insisted she had to rest. Keishin ensured he too had the following day off so he and Yuki could spend the night. It was something both were excited for, even if they did see each other each day, they were both working, and were unable to spend any quality time together.

"You're not planning on putting on another horror are you?"Keishin asked nervously as he opened the door to the house.

Yuki giggled at his worried expression. "No, no, it's uh well," her eyes downcast, and her voice grew soft, catching his attention. "It's a movie I remember watching back in h-highschool. It inspired me, made me cry, but the good type of cry-" 

"A good type of cry? Like of laughter?"

She met Keishin's eyes. "No, like it was so touching, and beautiful. I don't really remember it, just what it made me feel a-and I've been meaning to watch it again. I m-mean, only if you want too, I p-picked last time you should pick t-"

"What's it called? The movie?" he interrupted.

"It's an American one - The Blind Side."

"I'll order pizza. You put the movie on. Sound good?"

Yuki grinned. "Sounds great!"

A single empty pizza box sat open on the small table in front of the sofa, where Yuki cuddled into Keishin's side - tissues in her hand and cheeks stained from the amount of crying she had done from watching the movie. Keishin agreed, the film did strike his heart, and he could see why she was so emotional.

The movie came to an end, and Yuki blew into a tissue before babbling to Keishin about her favourite moments of the film. Even though he had just watched it too, he let her ramble on. He observed her in awe, even with her red cheeks and puffy eyes, he thought she looked beautiful. Without meaning too, he cut her off and planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

Yuki was taken back by it. "What was that for?" she mumbled when he pulled away, a shy smile on her face.

"Can't I just kiss my girlfriend for no reason?"

Yuki had to hold down the heat that rushed to her cheeks. He radiated confidence and gave his signature shit-eating grin every time he managed to make her flustered. She found it cute when he was being him usual dorky self, but when his actions and words were smooth, she melted in the palm of his hands.

She cleared her throat. "Did you like the movie?"

"Yeah, it was good. I see why it would have inspired you back in high school. The team being like your family and all."

Yuki nodded, a ghost of a smile on her lips, her gaze unfocused. "Do you t-think if I make it to pro, I could be worthy of a movie of my own?" The thought alone made her grin.

"Depends." She met his eyes.

"On what?"

"If I'm in the story. Romance is the key to every good movie."

"Oh, is it now?" she laughed. "I did not think y-you were one to care for romance in a story. And The Blindside did not even have romance!"

"Actually, it did." He said matter of factly. 

Yuki raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure we watched the same film?"

"The parents. The ones that took Micheal in. Their relationship was strong, and because of that, they were able to provide a stable life for their family  _ and  _ for Micheal." Yuki could not help but feel her heart flutter at his words. Talking about family, she knew they were early into their relationship, but she could not help but wonder where Keishin's head was about it.

_ How many kids did he want? When did he want kids? Did he want to stay in Japan? Travel the world? _

She shook her head, making the thoughts disappeared. One day she would bring it up. But not yet.

"Well, romance or not. You would have to be in the story, no doubt. You're the reason for... _ everything _ . If it weren't for you, I'd s-still be stuck at home in my room, lost with what to do with my life."

He smiled softly and took her hand into his. "Well, if it wasn't cause of you I would have been home alone tonight and would have eaten that pizza all by myself watching a movie I've already watched a bunch of times." He placed his finger under her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. "It may not be the same, but you've changed my life too. I'm a lot happier than I was."

Yuki did not know what to do other than to throw her arms around him; she nuzzled her red hot face into his neck. He chuckled softly and held her tightly. They stay there for a while, in each other's grasps. It was nice, with their busy lives, to take a moment to enjoy each other's company, even if they did not exchange words.

Eventually, Yuki yawned, notifying Keishin of the time.

"Might as well call it a night," he said. She nodded softly, pulling herself off him and sitting back onto the sofa. He stood up and stretched. "The bed in the guest bedroom is already made. Anything particular you want for breakfast?" Yuki shook her head. "Okay, anything you need before I head off?"

Yuki's eyes downcast to her twiddling fingers. "Uh - there is  _ one  _ thing."

"Which is?" She swallowed nervously. It had been on her mind for the last week. But she was unsure she had the nerve to ask him. "I can't help you if ya don't tell me." He placed his hands on the sofa, either side of her legs, face inches from hers.

Her pupils enlarged, and breath quickened. "Uh - I-I was just wondering, well, it's been on m-my mind for a while, but I didn't or well w-was unsure how to say it, but now that I'm h-"

"Just spit out, will you?"

Her eyebrows furrowed together; she took a deep breath and exclaimed. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" His eyes shot open. Her voice grew soft. "Instead of me staying in the guest bedroom?" There was a moment of silence that made her internally panic. "Or not, it's okay. I don't want you to be uncom-"

"No, no." He quickly interrupted, standing straight his hands waving. "It's fine, of course it is. I just didn't expect it was all."

"Are you sure? If you're n-not comfortable, that's fine."

Keishin grabbed Yuki's hand and forced her to her feet. "Don't be stupid. I have been ready since the arcade."

"Then why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I want to go at  _ your  _ pace. Trust me; I'm ready for everything, just let me know when you are too." Yuki bowed her head, knowing what he meant by everything. But she was not ready for anything more... _ yet _ . But it was sweet to know he was never going to force anything, that he was waiting for her to give the go-ahead.

"Come on then," she smirked, suddenly a spring in her step as she pulled him to his bedroom. "Bedtime."

Yuki was the first to the bed. His room was similar to the guest bedroom, though small touches made it his own. She wore another one of his shirts as a pyjama. She placed her phone on charge and patiently waited for him, tucked under the covers, her stomach twisting and turning with both nerves and excitement.

Keishin excited the bathroom; a towel hung from around his neck, his chest bare and a pair of grey shorts hung loosely on his waist. His hair was a mess from just having been towel-dried, and it fell in front of his face, stopping just above his eyes. Yuki swallowed, her hands gripped the covers as her legs tensed.

"Sorry, I sleep in shorts, is that okay?" he asked. Yuki only nodded in reply, worried if she opened her mouth a squeal would escape. She watched him with eager eyes as he made his way to the bed. Suddenly she felt as though she might have been ready for more.

Yuki had seen him topless before, it was not a new sight to see, but last time it was on a beach with hundreds of people around, but now, it was just the two of them, in  _ his  _ bedroom. It felt more personal, intimate even. She counted herself as one of the lucky ones, being able to see him in such a fashion.

"I hope you know you're stuck with me cuddling you all night," he said. She was too deep in thought to realise he had also gotten into the bed and was already laying down, an arm wrapped around her waist. She again said nothing, not trusting herself, but instead grinned and laid down next to him, placing her head on his chest, he was warm and skin soft. Her body relaxed at his touch, she was worried it would be awkward at first, as they never been so close in an intimate way, but she had never felt so comfortable before, so safe. 

Keishin held her close and planted a gentle kiss on her head. "Goodnight, baby girl."

-

"Coach Ukai please!" Yuki insisted when their morning training session came to an end. "My body i-is not aching anymore. If we're not going to do afternoon training until after the inter-highs then at least let me practise with the boys!" Coach Ukai said nothing, merely walking around and picking up the equipment. "Please, sir! It's not just for m-me, it'll help the boys practise against strong serves and spikes! It c-could make a big difference in the tournament! Do you not want them to go to nationals? D-do you not want to see the battle of the garbage dump?"

Coach Ukai stopped in his tracks and turned to her. She cowered under his stare, worried she had taken it a step too far. But after a moment he gave in. "Fine, you can practise with them too."

"YES!"

"But-" his finger pointed at her, "if you get hurt, that's on you."

"I understand that sir, thank you!" She gave a final bow before running off.

-

Yuki was happy to be back playing the boys again. She loved it, and it was not just because she was playing volleyball. She truly started to consider all the boys to be her family. They made her laugh until her stomach hurt but also pushed her to her limits each day.

Keishin ensured to change the teams around each evening to play with different people, and all of them would get a chance to go against her. The only people that were never on her team was Tsukishima. Keishin was determined to get him to block Yuki's spikes, but so far, he was unsuccessful.

Daichi was the one person who always seemed to be on her team, and to Yuki's surprise, Yú never complained that he was rarely on her team. At first, he did not like the idea of not having her back, but as each match went on, he realised he enjoyed trying to receive her spikes and serves. He struggled, barely able to get the ball up, never a clean dig, but each day he was improving, and that was all that mattered.

-

Nearly two weeks in and sleeping in the same bed as Keishin had become a regular occurrence. She laid on his chest, her finger tapping where his heart would be.

"I've never done anything before," she said out of the blue, pushing herself off him and into a sitting position. 

"What do you mean?" he asked, propping his elbow on the pillow to hold up his head.

"Well, back in high school I was too busy with volleyball to even think about getting a boyfriend, and t-the last four years...w-well you know."

"Oh...OH," his eyes widened at the realisation. "Right, well, I told you already, just let me know when you want to do more. There's no rush."

"I don't know...how long will your right hand keep you going for?" Keishin's eyes shot open, and ears grew pink. Before he could open his mouth to defend himself, she spoke again. "Don't worry; it's only natural. Girls do it too."

"Do you do it?" he asked slowly, worry about crossing a line.

"Maybe," she grinned. Keishin swallowed nervously, trying not to show the excitement that he felt when hearing her say that, trying his best not to let his imagination get out of hand. She was unsure where the confidence came from, but she assumed it was something to do with when Keishin became nervous or flustered. Her eyes subtly looked down the bedsheet, she smirked.

_ Bingo. _

Yuki leaned forward, hand gliding down his stomach and below the covers. "I would like to go to the next step. But I want to give you something first."

Keishin could not stop the giddy smile on his face. "I mean, I'm not going to say no."

"Good, but, again, I-I haven't done anything before, so I'm worried I won't be any... _ good _ ."

He chuckled softly. "It's fine. Just don't use teeth."

"No teeth?"

"YOU WERE GOING TO USE TEETH?"

"NO! Well, I didn't think about not using it either…"

-

The next morning Keishin spent most of it grinning from ear to ear. Whatever Yuki did must have been good. 

"I think next time I'll return the favour," he said.

"Return the favour?" 

"Yeah, you thought you were going to give it to me, and I wasn't going it give it back?" he turned to face her, smirking.

"Oh," she caught on, "I mean, you don't have too. That's not why I-I did it."

"I know, but I want too. I want to make you happy also."

"Okay, fine, but don't get mad if you don't make me go, it's harder to make girls orgasm than boys." She teased and was about to walk past him, but before she could, he grabbed her hips and pulled her so her back pushed against the wall.

He stood close, face beside her, his mouth hovering by her ear. "I'm going to tease you until you squirm," he whispered, "and then you'll have to beg for me to finish you." He pulled away, the same shit-eating grin on his face, he gave a final wink before walking away. Yuki stood there for a moment, trying to recompose herself, knowing her cheeks were flaming hot. Yuki was good at teasing him, but he was better at making her feel flustered.

Luckily Yuki did not have training the morning after his 'turn to return the favour' because she, in fact, could not move from the bed. If anything, Keishin Ukai was a man who stuck to his word.

-

Another week passed, and Yuki found herself once again in the training hall till late evening with the Karausno boys.

"NICE RECEIVE DAICHI!" Yuki yelled, before jumping into the air and spiking the ball down. She cheered with the team throwing high fives everywhere as they got another point.

Without her knowledge, Yú and Yuki's father stood at the gym entrance, watching his daughter in awe. He stood there, for how long he was unsure, watching his daughter play volleyball just like she did back in high school. The same daughter he thought he would never see again.

"Dad?" Yuki called once she spotted him. He jumped and stood straight.

"Yuki," he replied with a smile, quickly wiping away any tears that threatened to fall as she ran over.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, nothing, sweetheart. Was early for work and wanted to pop in to say hello. See if I could meet that boyfriend of yours."

"Oh, he's not here. He had to leave e-early because of work."

"That's a shame, hopefully, another time."

"We could go by the store now? It won't be busy. He wants to meet you."

Her father sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "I would love to, but I only had a moment, I've got to get going to work."

"Oh, okay." He could see the disappointment on her face. "Maybe another time?"

Her father nodded. "Yes, I would like that."

Yuki hugged him before running off and continuing the game, and her father watched for a few more minutes, filled with joy.

-

On the final week before the Inter-Highs, the team were constantly training, pushing themselves even harder. Yuki was dripping in sweat, jumping up and down, matching Hinata's speed. Keishin had specifically told her to challenge Hinata; there would be people who keep up with him at the tournament, so he needed the experience to go against it.

"Suga!" Yuki called, shooting into the air. Tusikshima followed her well - like he always did - jumping up opposite her. She swung forward with her left arm; the spotlight shone brightly to a small gap between the formation between Yú and Ennoshita. She grinned as her hand connected with the ball, but last second just before the ball could launch to the ground, Tskuishima's hand appeared in front of the light and blocked her spike. Daichi was unable to dig it up.

"YES!" The boys screamed, running over to the Tsuki.

Yuki looked to Keishin, both impressed. "Nice block." She said, catching the boys on the other team's attention. "See if you can get the next one too." Tsuki did not smile, but she could see by the way he stood alone he was proud that he finally stopped one of her spikes.

-

"YÚ IT'S COMING T-TO YOU!" Yuki shouted before throwing the ball into the air for a serve. The siblings met eyes, both grinning with anticipation. She slammed the ball at the peak of her jump. It looked as though it was going out, but there had been multiple times where Yú left the ball, and she hit the line, getting her team the point. However, this time, Yú did not listen to his teammates that were calling for it to be out; instead, he trusted his instincts, shuffling his feet into the correct position. His feet planted and arms straightened as the ball collided with his arms. The ball flew up, directly towards Kageyama.

There was no time to cheer for his receive, but the team's spirits lifted. Yuki did not move, a ping of pride hitting her chest as the team continue to play out. Tanaka received the spike from Hinata, sending the ball to Suga. Yuki gave a subtle nod to Daichi; both started their run to the net.

Tsukishima analysed the situation just like before, Yú waiting anxiously to get another dig from his big sister. Their confidence had risen in the last few points. Everyone knew Suga would set to Yuki, so what would she do?

She and Daichi jumped simultaneously, just as predicted Suga set the ball to her, she made no action different to how she usually spiked. She saw the opening to her right, but there was a chance Tsuki would block it, and Daichi was in the air so he would not be able to dig it up.

In a single swift motion, Yuki's hand changed from a spike to a set. As she turned her body, the ball landed in both of her hands. "DAICHI FINISH IT!" She sent the ball flying towards him. His eyes widened, but he was able to spike it with ease, getting their team a point and the set victory.

The boys who lost sighed, once again defeated by Yuki's team. They finally had a chance, but she burst their bubble of confidence. A part of her felt guilty, should she had let them stop her again?

"Hey," she caught Tsukishima's attention. "you stopped me once, y-you can do it again." He gave a subtle nod; his expression was unchanging.

Yuki walked over to Keishin and asked. "Should I have let them win?"

"Probably," he answered. She groaned, head falling on his shoulder.

"Shit..." Both watched as the boys started to pack away the equipment. The day after tomorrow would be the start of the inter-high tournament; it was the last practise session. "I'm - so - stupid," she mumbled, lightly banging her head against Keishin's shoulder with each word. "I got too into the game and did not think about the team!"

"No - I think it's a good thing." She raised an eyebrow to him. "It's their first taste of success against a strong spiker, even if you did shut them down straight after - they've learnt from it. They've felt what it's like to think they could not win at all to having a chance. It gives them hope, and I'm sure it'll be something they remember when they are in a tough spot."


	39. The Inter-High Tournament (Part 1)

"Karasuno got all the beautiful ladies this year," a boy with a blonde undercut flirted. "Are you another manager for the team?" Yuki raised an eyebrow at the teenager, unimpressed.

"No, coach, actually," she gave a condescending smile, and tried to walk past, but he blocked the way. She gave an irritated sigh.

"Oh, an older lady," the boy smirked, entertained by the challenge.

Keishin stood a few meters away when he caught a boy flirting with Yuki, though it was apparent she was trying her best to get away from him. His eyes narrowed, and as much as he wanted to do something about it, the boy was still a kid.

"Tanaka, Noya," Keishin called, catching the boys attention.

"Yes, coach?"

Keishin said nothing, merely nodding towards the interaction that was happening in front of him. He smirked as the boys charged forward, eyes red, but before they could arrive to save her, the blonde kid was dragged away by his teammates.

"You okay? What did he say? I'll get him!" Yú announced making Yuki chuckle.

"Nothing, he's just an i-idiot." She ruffled his hair as she way her way back to Keishin.

They walked side by side; she looked up at him with a knowing smile. "Did you have anything to do with, that?" she nodded to the side referencing to Tanaka and Yú.

"Me?" Keishin blew raspberries at her accusation. "Please, _I_ know you can take care of yourself. I have no reason to worry." Yuki raised an eyebrow, unconvinced."But it doesn't hurt to send a helping hand."

Yuki chuckled. "Is that what you call them? A helping hand?"

Keishin shrugged. "They do the job."

-

It was the day of the inter highs, and their first match was against Johzenji, their captain being the one that attempted to flirt with her earlier. They were a lively squad, no doubt, _all_ of them matching Yú and Tanaka's energy.

"They must be a pain to coach," Yuki mumbled. Keishin hummed in agreement.

The Karasuno boys lined up, Yuki was unsure if she was filled with nerves or excitement, most likely both. Keishin ensured to stay close - as he always did - often finding ways to place a comforting hand on her, reminding her that he was by her side. She always appreciated the gesture.

"This won't be an easy match," Keishin said as the teams got into their positions. "They were a semi-finalist at the prelims."

"Not doubting our boys now, are we?" She teased, mimicking his sentence from the other month.

Keishin smirked. "Never."

During the last month, Yuki had grown more confident in both herself and with Keishin. Ever since the two slept in the same bed and did _things_ , it felt as though their relationship had taken another step forward.

-

The match started, and Yuki quickly realised unpredictability was Johzenji's primary weapon. They were hard to read and felt as though most of their plays were last-second decisions. They got an early lead. It was apparent Karasuno were as lost as Yuki was.

But when some the players of Karasuno were just as unpredictable, they were able to get a counter, but only because Hinata had practically become Spider-Man for a moment, his feet landing on a vertical wall to return the ball.

Thankfully though, Karasuno were more balanced, and Daichi, the cool head captain he was, was able to calm down the over-energetic boys, ensuring they all kept composed.

"Did Kageyama just block that with his face?" Yuki questioned, trying not to cringe.

"Yep..." Keishin mumbled as Takeda stood and called for a timeout.

"KAGEYAMA, DON'T DIE!" Hinata panicked.

"He's not dying," Tanaka muttered.

Yuki squirmed on the bench hearing the conversation. Sometimes, she did not take her situation seriously enough. Getting hit in the face or head was not uncommon in volleyball, and she needed to remember the dangers that came with her playing - even with the protective helmet, she could end up back in the hospital.

"I'm thinking of putting Narita in as he's played with Sugawara more," Keishin said, taking a seat beside her and pulling her from her deep thought. "What do you think?"

Yuki nodded. "Sounds good, and with the different style of p-play it could throw Johzenji off."

Even with Kageyama and Hinata on the bench, Karasuno took the first set 25 - 21.

"Good job, good job, good job!" She told them, high fiving them all, a new habit she got into when they won.

Hinata and Kageyama were back on the court in set 2, and Yuki found herself dreading the next minutes.

"This is going to be awful..." she mumbled.

"What do you mean?" Keishin asked.

"Kageyama and Hinata are so riled up; they are gonna mess up on their stupid quick attack, I can just feel it...hopefully it does not blow their steam." Keishin raised an eyebrow and looked back to the match.

Yuki held her head in her hands, her eyes peeking through her fingers as she waited for the inevitable mistake. And just as predicted, it happened. Kageyama launched the ball too high, shooting straight past Hinata's attempt to spike it.

"Shit..." Yuki muttered, even she hoped she would have been wrong. But one thing she did not account for was that Daichi was thinking the same as her. He was ready for the mistake too, but unlike Yuki, he could make a difference in the situation's outcome. He dove forward, saving the ball, and in turn, getting Karasuno a point.

"Whose underestimated them now, ey?" Keishin nudged her playfully; she jokingly rolled her eyes. But it was true; she did underestimate them.

The team did not just revolve around Kageyama and Hinata; the two were allowed to play so freely because of the foundation the rest of the team laid out for them. Especially Daichi, every day, he reminded her more of how she was in high school. The pressures she felt, she was sure he felt them too. But he never showed it, always keeping a level head.

The second half of the set became more difficult. Johzenji started changing their tactics; their plays were more precise - as if they had a game plan. They no longer attempted to block Hinata's quicks, but instead, try to receive it. Hinata met Yuki's eyes, and with a single nod, he understood what he was asking from her, remembering back to when they played the three on three at the training camp. But even though Johzenji closed the point gap slightly, Karasuno always held the lead and won the second set.

They were going to the quarter-finals.

"YES!" Yuki yelled grinning. "We're going to the quarters!" She grabbed Yú roughly, ruffling his hair.

-

That night, Yuki laid on Keishin's chest as she thought about the day and what tomorrow would bring.

"You know," she started. "I was really impressed with Daichi today."

" _Mhm_ ," Keishin replied though he was half asleep.

"I think the team would r-really struggle without him. He keeps the wild ones in check, and his defensive skill is nearly par to Yú. He's proving himself to be a great captain."

" _Mhm_."

"Are you even listening?"

" _Mhm_."

Yuki softly chuckled and decided to say nothing more on the matter.

-

Their next opponent was Wakutani South. They were a well-rounded team, and the third years stayed just like Karasuno. Yuki did not think too much into it, just another opponent, but she quickly realised something was off with Keishin.

"Hey, is something wrong?" she asked him.

Keishin did not meet her eye; instead, he folded his arms and watched the teams line up. "It might be my gut feeling, but this Wukunan team may be hard for our team to handle." Yuki swallowed nervously. The team must have been strong for Keishin to say such a thing, but when she evaluated Wakuntani, there was nothing that stood out to her.

Before the game started, Yuki saw Saeko in the stands, she had sent her a message earlier that day to let her know she might be attending but was unsure, so Yuki was delighted to see she was able too.

Yuki wanted to yell out to her friend but found herself stuck, her hand out waving but no words leaving her mouth. Saeko waved back enthusiastically, screaming words of encouragement to the team. Yuki sighed softly; she needed to get over the fear of yelling out loud. She did not understand why her body froze every time she tried.

As the match was in full swing, Yuki slowly understood why Keishin had a bad feeling about the match up. Karasuno were used to playing against teams that continuously throw attacks at them, but they have a problem handling teams that keep their own pace and deal with them intelligently.

The main issue was Wakuntani's number '1'. He reminded Yuki of the tiny giant, how he played and won his mid-air battles despite his height. The team were strong as a whole, and it was no wonder why they were considered one of the best teams in the prefecture.

But, Yuki needed to stop underestimating her boys, because they were proving her wrong. Daichi specifically was proving her wrong every time. He was not loud like some of the others, yet his presence was just as known. He kept the team in check, giving the correct advice to each player when they needed it.

"If that last game was a bunch of playing, this match is going to be about the captains," Yuki stated, smirking.

Karasuno had finally taken a two-point lead, the most the two teams had been apart during the first set, and they were currently having their longest rally yet. Both teams had strong attacks and defence. Yuki was on edge on her seat, her eyes following the ball with every hit. Whoever lost the point could take a blow to their momentum.

"Come on; you can get it," she muttered to herself, her fingers gripping the bench tightly. Daichi dove forward, hitting the ball into the air. Yú followed up behind him, sending the ball higher. Yuki's eyes glanced to it, but then back down to Tanaka, running for it to get the last hit. Her eyebrows pulled together when she realised Daichi was running for it too.

_They were going to collide._

Yuki got to her feet, her mouth opened to yell for him to stop, but nothing came out. Although it did not matter, she was too late; they had collided.

Daichi laid on the floor, unmoving, back facing her. Suddenly, Yuki found herself back at nationals. A single spotlight lit up Daichi's body that slowly faded and became herself. Her teammates surrounded her, staring wide-eyed at her unconscious body.

Yuki's breath hitched in her throat. Is it that how it happened? With her accident? Did she silence the hall? Did everyone stare at her, unsure of what happened? Uncertain of what to do?

Yuki shook her head, returning herself to the hall in Miyagi. She ran forward without warning, her body taking the lead. "Daichi!" she called out. "Are you okay?" she crouched down to meet his height, "Where did you get hit?"

"My face..." he groaned. A large bruise had already formed on the left side of his face.

"Do you know where you are?"

He met her eyes. "Sendai City, in the gym."

"Who are we playing right now?"

"W-Wakunan." Before Yuki could say anything else, Daichi's energy spiked up. "I'm fine!"

"But it appears that you hit your head," Takeda said. "So please go to the infirmary." Yuki's heart ached as Daichi's eyebrows pulled together, and lip wobbled, he wanted to argue back, insist he could play, but he knew better. "Go have them confirm that you really are okay. That's the quickest way for you to return to the match."

Daichi agreed and stood, Yuki still stayed close to him, she was unsure where the sudden protective nature came from, like a mother wanting to protect their child.

"I'll take him to the infirmary," she told Keishin.

"No, it's okay, I'll take him."

"I want to take him." Keishin raised an eyebrow at the quick snap. She tensed realising what she had done. "Sorry, I-I just..." Yuki's hand reached up and rubbed her opposite forearm, her eyes scanning the floor. "I just would feel better being with him, and knowing he's alright."

Keishin nodded, "Okay. Just keep me updated on the situation."

"I will." She gave a small bow before turning to Daichi. "Come on, let's go," she walked with him out of the hall.

Keishin watched with a frown. When was the last time she bowed to him? It was strange - even if they were trying to keep their relationship professional, not once had she bowed to him since they got together. Something was wrong, but he had no time to think about it.

-

"You're not feeling dizzy or anything, are you?" Yuki asked as she and Daichi walked down the empty halls of the building.

"No, I'm fine. It just hurts." He replied, his hand still holding a piece of tissue to his mouth, stopping the blood. She nodded, but found self-standing closer to him than usual, just in case he lost his footing, she did not want him to hit the floor.

Yachi met the two when they arrived at the infirmary. Yuki explained to one of the nurses what had happened while the other inspected Daichi. After that, though, Yuki did not say much, sitting to the side as Yachi did most of the talking.

"Hey, you guys are from Karasuno, right?" The female nurse asked. Yuki nodded. "And you're the assistant coach? Yuki Nishinoya?" Yuki nodded again, though unsure how the nurse knew her name. The nurse giggled. "Now it makes sense."

"Makes sense?"

"Yeah," the nurse giggled again. "Yesterday the main coach of your team came by, told us about well - your condition."

"My condition?" But then Yuki's eyes widened slightly. "Oh, r-right."

_"But only under these three conditions. One, if we do this, then wherever and whoever you play with must know your condition. If something were to go wrong and people don't know what's wrong, there is a higher chance you could die."_

Yuki remembered the conversation clearly. She smiled to herself. Even when she was not playing, he took precautions to keep her safe. She wondered if he ever relaxed, he always seemed to have something on his mind, mainly things about her.

_Was she a pain in the ass to him?_

Yuki chuckled, knowing if she asked him that, he would be furious, telling her 'he simply cared, and wanted to make sure she was safe, it put his own mind at ease'.

Her _'condition_ ' per se had become a clear concept within the team. Everyone knew about it, including the clueless Hinata. If something were ever to happen, especially during times she trained with them, it was important they understood what was happening. Though it became apparent that some of the players held back their spikes - especially Asaahi - when going against her which irked her slightly, though she understood and appreciated the sentiment behind it.

-

Daichi, Yuki and Yachi returned to the hall. The match was on set three. Karasuno 20 - 19 Wakuntani. The three stopped at the door and watched at the back and forth game. Daichi was determined to get back into the match but stopped himself.

"I think if I joined back now, I would just ruin the rhythm," he chuckled dryly.

"I agree," Yuki said, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "I told you, t-their captain was missing. They were not going to crumble and let you down. Now rest and trust your team." Daichi stood tall and gave a stern nod, trying his best not to show the impact her words had on him.

In the end, Karasuno won the third set 25 - 23, Ennoshita proving himself with an excellent final receive to give the opening to Hinata and Kageyama to score the last point. Yuki cheered with Dachi and Yachi before they made their way back down to the hall.

Keishin was the first to exit, meeting Yuki eyes immediately. She gave a large grin and a thumbs up, making him return the smile, but he did not forget about earlier.

"Want to come to the smoking area with me while the boys watch the next match?" He asked. She accepted.

"How's Sawamura?"

"Fine. He was in a lot of pain initially, but now he's rested a bit, he said he feels good. How did Ennoshita do?"

"Honestly? Better than I expected. He held his own, kept the rest of the boys in line. He'll be a good captain next year."

"And here you always doubting them. Got to trust them a little," Yuki teased.

"I do, but I'm also a realist," he defended. "We've got either Date Tech or Aoba Johsai next and it's going to be hard."

"I know, but we'll win."

"You sound so sure."

"It's because I am," Yuki smirked. "I have a good feeling."

The two continued talking as Keishin had his smoke. It was not uncommon for the two to tear away from the team to talk with themselves, but this time, he had a question to ask.

"Want to tell me what was wrong earlier?"

Yuki's head tilted to the side. "What do you mean?"

"With Sawamura."

Yuki's mouth shaped into an 'o'. "Right, that," she chuckled awkwardly. "I-I well, I - uh-" she met Keishin's eyes, he didn't budge from his stern stare. She sighed softly. She never held anything from him anymore, because even if she wanted to, she couldn't - he read her like a book. He always knew when something was wrong.

"I guess when I saw Daichi on the floor like that, it, well," she looked to the ground, "well I guess - it reminded me of myself, and I just - my head got scrambled. I thought about what happened to me a-after my accident and, I don't know, I just wanted to protect him..."

Keishin smiled softly and pulled her to his side, placing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. It was a gesture he did often, a subtle way to comfort her, and she loved it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I planned on having the whole of the inter-highs in this one chapter but I got too about 5.3k words before even getting to Shiratorizawa, so I had to split it. So yeah this is a poopy chapter but hopefully, the next one makes up for it.
> 
> Should hopefully have the next one out tomorrow or day after as it's nearly written and I want to post it asap to make up for this one
> 
> and let's just say, im really excited to see your reactions to the next chapter :D


	40. The Inter-High Tournament (Part 2)

The semi-finals were against Aoba Johsai. The team considered second-best in the prefecture. The team that knocked Karasuno out in the last tournament. It was a revenge match. Yuki kept her eyes on the Aoba Johsai's captain, Oikawa. He alone was a powerful component Karausno had to deal with. Keishin was right; it would be a hard match.

Due to the match feeling more important than the other's Yuki could not help her excitement. When Yú successful did his Libero jump set, Yuki slapped Keishin's arm multiple times, squealing 'Did you see that? That's my brother!'. And when Hinata was able to complete his quick attack despite being blocked before and when they lost, Yuki punched Keishin's arm repeatedly. He realised quickly, by the end of the match, his arm would be numb.

Though Karasuno won the first set, Yuki's jaw was practically touching the floor, but not for a good reason. Oikawa's serves, she could not believe her eyes; they were so powerful. Despite his first attempt being out of bounds, Yuki nervously swallowed, suddenly worrying for her little brother who was going have to receive them, she unconsciously scooted a little closer to Keishin on the bench.

And that was not all. A new player subbed in for Aoba Johsai. He had short blonde hair with black stripes. And before he touched the ball, she knew he would be trouble, and he proved her right through the second set. He was chaotic, dangerous even for both sides, but he could score points with ease. He threw a spanner in the works.

"He's powerful but unreliable..." Yuki muttered to Keishin.

"Yeah, explains why he didn't start the match, he's a double-edged sword."

As the match contuied, it was as close as the first. Back and forth, but Karasuno were on the back foot as the set was coming to an end. Keishin decided on putting Yamaguchi in as a pinch server which proved to do well. He got 4 points for the team; however, it was not enough, because Aoba Johsai took the second set 26 - 28.

Unfortunately, Yuki had no words to give the team before the third set. She balled her hands into a fist frustrated; she was feeling useless again, the pressure was getting to her; she could not think straight, let alone get any words of encouragement out. She knew something, anything from her could help the team, but once again, like always, her mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish.

"Fuck..." she muttered to herself, annoyed.

"It's okay, relax."

"It's not okay! I don't know how to help. I'm useless!"

"I said it's okay." Keishin gave her a stern look. She did not argue back, simply accepting where she was - complaining was not going to help either.

Yuki was close to silent in the third set. It started rough for Karasuno, but around halfway through the boys were able to bring it back. However, it continued to be back and forth. Yuki watched with eagle eyes, every move, every spike, every receive but her brain could not think of any idea's to give her team the advantage.

Yamaguchi once again subbed on as a pinch server, though he was limited to only one service that time, but not to any fault of his, Aoba Johsai was just a strong opponent. Yuki watched Yamaguchi as he came off the court, his shoulders hunched forward, and eyes focused on the floor.

"Yamaguchi," Yuki said as he walked past, he turned to look at her, "that was not your fault. You did a great serve." His frown disappeared, and chest rose, there was still disappointed in his eyes, but her words meant a great deal to him. He gave a polite bow before returning to his team.

Yuki relaxed slightly, maybe she could not help the team at the time, but at least she could make one of them feel better. She needed to remember her words could change the team's mood instantly, only if she could yell out to them when they needed it though.

At (Karasuno) 22 - 23 (Aoba Johsai), Oikawa hit one of his most insane serves yet, and Yuki felt as though she was going to be sick. It was the final points of the game, and she found herself feeling relieved that the boys were keeping a strong mental attitude despite the situation they were in.

For the first time that set Yuki found her voice, cheering when Daichi received Oikawa's serve, then when Hinata finally got a successful block on the chaotic blonde kid, Yuki jumped to her feet. It was deuce.

"KAGEYAMA!" She shouted with a fist pump when he did a setter dump to put Karasuno on match point. The final rally was intense. Yuki was between cheering every time Karausno touched the ball and her jaw-dropping every time Aoba Johsai did. But there was a moment. Kageyama set up Hinata for their quick attack, but Aoba Johsai read it well. A three-person block. Just like last time, Yuki new what Hinata had to do. She wanted to scream  _ 'up' _ , but her voice once again fell when she needed it most.

However, even without her advice, Hinata was able to get past the triple block, and with a lucky bounce, Oikawa was unable to dig up the ball.

Karasuno had won.

Words could not put together how Yuki felt at that moment. Most of her was ecstatic; they did it; they won. But the other small part of her was disappointed in herself. She was there to help the team, but she did nothing during the whole match. But that did not stop her celebrating with the boys at first, hugging most of them, especially Yú tightly.

They were going to the finals.

Yuki separated from the team to head to the bathroom, but on the way, she passed Oikawa. She stopped.

"Hey, Oikawa," Yuki called out, making him pause. She turned to face him. She was unsure why she had decided to speak to him, but something about the sombre look on his face made her uncomfortable. "You played a great match, and you are a great player. Any of the top teams will be lucky to have you as their setter one day."

Oikawa was surprised by the comment. He knew who she was; in fact, she had been a topic of conversation in the team a few times. Her words meant a great deal coming from someone as iconic as her. He gave a polite bow, showing his gratitude. He turned to leave but paused, looking back at her with a smirk.

"Make sure that little shrimp takes down Ushijima."

"And what makes you think  _ I  _ can do that?"

Oikawa breathed a laugh. "Please, he had your plays written all over him. The feints, accurate spikes, reading movements." He met her eyes. "I guess my protégé plus yours would always equal to chaos."

Yuki said nothing. She never considered Hinata as her protégé at all, nor never intended it. But she could assume after Hinata had seen her play during the 3v3 and found out who she was, he would start watching her plays more, copying them, understanding them. More she thought about it; more she realised how many questions he would ask her during practice. Maybe he was following in her footsteps; after all, she was the closest thing to the tiny giant.

"Don't let them win," were Oikawa's final words before walking away.

It was an odd interaction, no one Yuki intended on, but one that gave her more insight than she realised.

-

Yuki was quiet for most of the journey home, falling asleep on Keshin's shoulder about halfway through. She was barely awake when they arrived back at Karasuno High School, dragging her feet as she got off the bus, but was quickly woken up by the cheers that erupted from in the school. Her eyes widened, and suddenly she was back in high school when  _ her  _ team had returned from getting to the finals. Hundreds of students stuck their heads out of the windows, yelling down at them supportive words.

"Must feel familiar." Keishin brought her back to reality, though, nothing seemed too different, expect the fact it was not her they were cheering for.

"Yeah, it does." She smiled. A fire lit inside. She would not choke tomorrow in the final as she did with the rest of the matches. She would help the team; she would make the right calls and ensure that when Karasuno were on the court, they could hear her voice.

The reason she was so strong as a captain was because she was so good with her words. Even if she was not on the court, she could still use them to help Karasuno; she just needed to find it again.

-

Everyone on the team was surprised by the amount of support that turned up. The four people that usually cheered them on turned into over one hundred. And strangely, Yuki felt more at ease with it, her mind flashing with memories when the same had happened when her team got into the finals.

This was it.

It was the finals.

The last hurdle before nationals.

-

The team huddled together for a final talk before the match would start. Keishin and Takeda would always take the reins on the talk, giving their advice to the team and words of encouragement.

Yuki nibbled on her bottom lip as she listened to Takeda talk. His positive attitude even put her nerves at ease. Then it was Kiehsin's turn, but Yuki gently placed her hand on his as he tried to step forward. He met her eyes, eyebrows furrowed together, but after a second he understood, giving her a nod to continue. She sucked a quick breath in and stepped forward, standing in the centre of the huddle. Her eyes caught the banner  _ 'Fly'  _ in the background; it took her back to when she played. A sudden surge of confidence hit her, and she looked back at the boys.

"There isn't much I can say that Takeda hasn't already." She started, many of the boys wide-eyed, she had never been the one to speak to them before a match before. "B-but I can say this. I've been here before, in this exact position you are now. B-being the Underdogs in a final, everyone doubting you every step of the way. And I'll t-tell you what I told  _ my  _ girls that day." She sucked another quick breath, memories flying through her mind. "This match is  _ no  _ different from any of the other's you've played so far. You play  _ your  _ game. I don't care how good the other team are; they're not machines, they'll make mistakes, you just have to make sure to take advantage when they do."

None of the boys said anything, watching and listening awe. Yuki never talked to any of them about her time at Karasuno before, and no one dared to ask her about it. She controlled her breathing, ignoring the anxiety that was building up. "There's no pressure for you to win, so don't put any on yourself either." Though her hand was shaking, she brought it up into a fist; she grinned at them."Since we got this far, let's win and go to nationals!"

"YEAH!" The team cheered, though Yú looked like he was going to cry, hand clutching his chest.

"Are you okay?" she asked, worried.

"Yeah," he looked at her. "just so proud!" Yuki rolled her eyes at her overdramatic little brother. "We're going to do it, we're going to win!" he sobbed, and suddenly all the boys joined him in his cries, tears streaming down their faces. Yuki was unsure whether to be scared or flattered.

"LET'S DO IT! LET'S WIN!" Daichi announced, walking forward with determination to line up for the announcement, the rest of the team followed in suit, agreeing with his statement.

Yuki chuckled softly and looked to Keishin. "You're not going to start crying too, are you?"

He laughed, "not happening, though that was a good speech."

"Would you cry if we lost today?"

"I'd be pretty upset, but don't think I'd cry."

"What if we won? Happy tears?"

Kenshin thought for a moment. "Maybe, but I doubt it. I'm just not someone that cries often. I don't even think I remember the last time I cried."

"That seems like an issue I-I wish I had." The announcer started talking, introducing the game to the audience. "What if I got into Japan?"

"I'd be proud, but crying? Don't think so. Maybe when you win gold in the Olympics, might get a tear there."

She stifled a laugh. "I thought you said you were a realist."

"I am."

Yuki turned to face him, her eyebrows pulled together, but she could not reply as the announcer started introducing the teams. They began with Karasuno, and each player ran past Yuki, Keishin, Kiyoko and Takeda, giving them all high fives before running onto the court. Yú was the last one, but as he went to high five her, she grabbed his hands for a moment.

"Make sure to win, so this time, I can be the one cheering you on at Nationals."

Yú grinned, "we will!"

Yuki's excitement dissipated when the team's got into their positions. The situation started to become real. They were in the final. They made it, but there was still the biggest obstacle to get over before Nationals. Ushiwaka, the ace and Captain of Shiratorizawa. He was even bigger than Yuki imagined, and his power came with every step. He was intimidating, to say the least, his expression stoic and eyes stern. The match had not even started, yet Yuki was already terrified of the third year. And knowing he was in the top three of Aces in the country sent a shiver down her spine. Bokuto was an amazing player, yet he was only top five. Just how strong was Ushiwaka?

The finals began. Daichi starting with a serve. To no surprise, it was received with ease, and set to Ushiwaka instantly. Even though he was facing a three-person block, he seemed unbothered. Yuki's jaw dropped from the sheer power he put behind his spike, even though it was aimed directly at Yú, the ball bounced of his arms, giving Shiratoizawa the first point. Yuki's head hung low. Even though Yú had been practising against Yuki to get used to a left-hand spike, she could never get the same power Ushiwaka did. The training they did was practically useless. He would have to learn how to deal with it during the game.

Finally, after five consecutive points from Shiratorizawa, Karasuno got a score. It was not much to cheer about, but they were able to get something on the board. At eight points (and Karasuno at three) a technical timeout was called. When the team came in, Yuki had no words, letting Keishin take the reins on the speech. Her hand's ball into fists, frustrated as usual.

"Hey," Keishin placed a hand on her shoulder. "you don't have to say something every time. No point to speak if your words are meaningless."

"I know, but I just want to help!"

"Calm down. You can't think straight if you're agitated like this."

Keishin was right. She did need to calm down. If her mind was scrambled like it was the last few days, she would be useless again. When she used to play, she was known for keeping her cool and making quick decisions despite the situation. She sat down on the bench and closed her eyes, taking herself back to when she played.

How did she think? How did she analyse situations? What did she do, say when her team were behind? How did she keep them motivated?

Yuki contuied watching the match, trying her best to relax, watching each player and imagining herself on the court. Her mind seemed to be calmer when she was on the court rather than the sidelines. She pictured herself standing beside Yú as Tsukishima jumped up for a block against Ushiwaka. He timed it perfectly; she grinned. If anyone could block Ushiwaka, it would be Tsukishima. However, Ushiwaka simply blasted through Tuski's block with ease.

When the second technical timeout came in, Yuki stormed over to Tsukishima, her finger out and poking at his chest when she spoke. "What the hell was that then?" His eyebrows pulled together, unpleased. He said nothing, knowing what she was talking about. "Y-you perfectly timed the block, and yet you chickened out to actually block it. I get it, Ushiwaka is terrifying, but that doesn't mean you don't try!" Tsuki did not meet her eye, his grip tightening on his water bottle, he knew she was right. 

She pulled her hand back to her side, her voice softening though it stayed stern. "At first you didn't think you could block me, but eventually you did. Did you not?"

"I had weeks to learn to block you," he bluntly told her, annoyed with the fact she was telling him off.

"Yeah, weeks to get used to a left-hand spiker. The only difference between him and me is that his power is a lot stronger than mine. You've got the timing. Now you've just got to hold your own."

-

Yuki accepted the first set was a loss. The score was seventeen to eight, but it did not mean the rest of the set was useless. It was their time to learn and understand their opponents, so when they went into the second set, they could play against them better.

Ushiwaka was up next to serve, so far, no one had received his spikes or serves directly. But Yuki's sights landed on Yú. He was deep in concentration, his breathing deep and eyes like a hawk.

"He's gonna do it..." she mumbled.

_ Step _

_ Step _

_ Step _

_ Jump _

Yuki was surprised every time she saw the power behind Ushiwaka's hits; her hand gripped the edge of the bench, Yú rushed to the right, his arms reaching out. The ball slammed onto the centre of his arms and flew up directly into the air.

"YES!" Yuki cheered. He did it; he was able to receive it.

In the end, just as predicted, Karausno lost the first set by ten points. The boys said nothing as they grabbed their drinks. Keishin started talking to them as Yuki went into deep thought.

"No, t-this is good!" Yuki grinned suddenly, surprising the team. Everyone except her looked rather sombre with the thrashing they got given in the first set. No one could understand why she was so happy.

"You do realise we lost the set," Yú said.

"Yeah, but looked how much you learnt." They all gave each other confused glances. "Oh come on, am I the only one that sees it?" From their unchanging expressions, she took that as a yes.

She sighed softly. "It isn't g-great we lost the set, but now we go into the second set a completely different team almost. This is what we're best at. Learning and adapting to who we are playing against. We were at a training camp playing against top teams all day every day with tons of different playstyles; this is no different. When we start to counter them, what do you think they're going to do?"

The boys exchanged glances.

"Change tactics?" Tanaka questioned, unsure.

"Will they?" Yuki smirked. "This is the difference between a top team and the underdogs. A team like Shiratorizawa have never struggled before, not in the prefecture anyway. How many other tactics could they really have? Ushiwaka will always be their main weapon, tame him then what?"

The boys listened intently.

"But for us? Karasuno? The Underdogs? We've been struggling all summer against top teams. We were forced into a corner and had to learn different ways to fight out of it. We have the crazy quick attack," she pointed to Hinata and Kageyama, "our power ace," she pointed to Asahi, "our pinch server," she pointed to Yamaguchi, "and our synchronised attack." Her hands turned outwards to signal to everyone. "We have so much in our arsenal, Shiratorizawa may know about them, but that doesn't mean they know how to handle them."

The boys stood up straight, each of them eyeing each other with a small smile.

"Don't forget, there are four more sets in this game. Don't let this one throw you off."

"RIGHT!" The boys answered, new energy in them as they returned to the court for the second set. Keishin smirked watching her. He had been waiting for it to happen. He realised over the last few months volleyball was like a black hole for Yuki, once she was sucked in, she would get lost in it.

However, when at matches with Karasuno, Yuki stood at the edge of the black hole, staring down at the abyss, fighting its pull. She feared once she got dragged into it, she would be stuck in an endless pit. But when she finally calmed herself, and let herself fall, she realised that the black hole was simply the world she was a part of before. The world she loved and understood. The world of volleyball.

"What?" she chuckled when she realised Keishin was staring at her.

"Nothing," he replied, paying attention back to their match.

The second set Yuki quickly realised her mistake, there was a reason Shiratorizawa was considered the best, and it was not just because of Ushiwaka. Of course, she knew the team as a whole would be strong, but did not know there was another player on their team which would cause so many issues for Karasuno. He was tall with spiky red hair and was the definition of chaotic energy. She could imagine him being a fun teammate, but for now, he was a pain in the ass. His reading of the game was strong, and he blocked many spikes by pure guesses.

For the first time, Yuki was happy that Tsukishima had the ability to piss off anyone and everyone in a moment's notice, because he was doing a good a getting under the red-haired kid's skin. She was hoping it would throw him off his game. Tsuki was doing better in the second set; he was reading Shiratorizawa well, often getting a touch on every ball.

Unlike the first set, the score was close, and Yuki fully believed they could take the second set. By the end of it, the total defence strategy her and Keishin worked on was working, and Ushiwaka was not getting points as easy as before. Her and Keishin were practically on their feet for the whole of the deuce. It was nail-biting, the ball continuously going back and forth, and no team could get two consecutive points. Everyone was diving to the floor, jumping, spiking, doing their best to keep the ball up on their side but down on the other.

And finally, it happened.

Tuskishima blocked Ushiwaka's spike, winning Karasuno the set.

The hall grew silent. Yuki was grinning from ear to ear. She knew he could do it.

"All right!" Tsukishima surprisingly yelled, exciting everyone else.

"YES!" Keishin and Yuki yelled at the same time, their fist-pumping into the air.

But the match was far from over.

Shiratorizawa took the third set 20 - 25; they bounced back surprisingly strong despite the defeat in the second set. However, Karasuno fought back harder, winning the fourth, and bringing it down to the final set. Yuki ensured with each timeout she gave her best words of encouragement; she felt more confident each time despite the stressful match so far. Yet she was still unable to yell out words of encouragement during the match like Keishin did. She wanted them to hear her voice on the court, but every time she tried, she failed.

"It's only going to be until 15...it's going to go fast," Yuki mumbled to Keishin as the match started up again.

It was back and forth, just like the other two sets, though is seemed Ushiwaka was getting better as time went on and it made Yuki feel sick with nerves.

"Is he even human? Have we checked he's not a machine?" she said as he scored another point, her hands-on on the top of her head.

"He's sure proving to be a pain, but as long as Tukishima keeps doing what he's doing. We'll be okay."

Keishin was right, Tsuki was proving to be the most reliable on the team. He was blocking and getting touches on every spike that Shiratorizawa attempted. But that's when she also felt as though the world was trying it's best not to let Karasuno win the game. Tsukishima injured his hand trying to block one of Ushiwaka's spikes, he had to go to the medical room.

At (Shiratorizawa) 12 - 09 (Karasuno) another technical timeout was called, and Yuki held her head in her hands.

_ What could she tell them? What did she need to tell them? They were three points anyway from losing. All their hard work, for nothing. She needed to say something, anything. _

But when Yuki looked back up, the team had already returned back to the court. She was in her head for too long. Her eyes squeezed shut frustrated. When they needed her most, she panicked,  _ again _ . If they lose, it would be her fault. She had the chance to help them, but chocked,  _ again _ .

"Fuck!" She growled under her breath.

"Relax will you," Keishin told her bluntly. "your words will help, sure, but they know what they have to do."

And Keishin was right, as he always was. The team were able to bounce back despite her lack of encouragement. They knew what they had to do. They knew what they were capable of, even without Tsukishima. Hinata did a few questionable plays, and Yamaguchi was able to bring the score back to a tie with his pinch serves.

It became another deuce.

_ It's not over until it's over. _

Karasuno were giving it all they had to get the ball over the net.

_ The ball has not touched the floor yet. _

Yuki suddenly found herself on the court. Surrounded by darkness. She was in her Karasuno uniform. A single light lit up the scoreboard.

_ 14 - 14 _

Sounds echoed in the darkness. Slamming of volleyballs, squeaking of shoes, voices of her teammates.

"ONE TOUCH!"

"SORRY, IT'S SHORT!"

"GET THE LAST HIT!"

Sweat dripped down the side of her face; each breath felt as heavy as her legs. Never before had she played five sets before. Her stamina was nearing the edge. Every movement required more effort than before. Her arms felt as though weights were tied to them. She looked up. A single spiker flew in the air, Yuki swallowed nervously when they met eyes. The spiker grinned at her when the ball slammed down to the floor. Yuki had not even attempted to move for the ball.

_ 15 - 14 _

One more point and Karasuno would lose.

Usually, her teammates would always look to her for guidance, but for the first time, none of them did. All of them dropped to their knees - defeated.

All their hard work, was it for nothing? All the late-night training. All the things they sacrificed. All the promises she made.

Yuki's hands balled into a fist.

They used every inch of their power to keep the ball into the air, stumbling around, jumping to the ground, screaming call outs, only for it to do nothing, only for them to fail.

She squeezed her eyes shut.

It was a punch to the gut, and for the first time, the team were silenced.

Yuki's eyes shot open.

_ No _ , they would not give up yet. It was not over until the last ball touched the floor.

Yuki stood to her feet. In front of her stood the boys Karasuno team - all of their spirits plummeted. There were no more timeouts, and she refused to let her team fight without her by their side.

"DON'T YOU DARE LOOK DOWN!" She announced, her booming voice silenced Shiratorizawa's cheers. Everyone's eyes widened at her sudden outburst - heads spinning to look at her. She stood tall -  _ proud _ , held her head high, grinning from ear to ear. She felt a weight lift off her shoulders, and with each breath, she felt as though she was breathing in cleaner air.

The banner ' _ Fly _ ' stood out clear in front of her. She looked down and met the eyes of her team,  _ her boys _ . "Everyone has doubted you every step of the way, and you've proved them wrong every time! Don't let this time be any different!" She brought up her hands, her lips tightening into a smirk. "SHOW THEM HOW THE CROWS CAN FLY!"

New life found it's way into the team; their smiles reached their eyes, and the cheers from the Karasuno side returned. The boys readied themselves into their positions, determined on the next play. Their doubt had dissipated, they would not fail; they would get to Nationals.

Keishin stared at Yuki who stayed standing grinning like a Cheshire Cat as Ushijima Wakatoshi stepped forward to take his serve. He watched her with an adoring gaze and a broad smile. The light from above shone on her as if it was a spotlight. He knew how proud she was of herself for finally being able to call out to her team, but he wondered if she knew how proud he was of her too.

His heart hammered in his chest, and it was no longer just from the nerves and excitement of the match. It was because of her, the feeling she gave him from such a simple set of words; he could not imagine the fire she lit inside of the boys on the court. 

Keishin had known for a while now that he had fallen in love with Yuki. He had found no time to tell her in the last few weeks, but after the match, after the team would win and qualify for Nationals, it would be the perfect time to tell her.

_ Step _

Not for a moment did he question how far she stood away from him.

_ Step _

Not for a moment did he think he would need to be close to her at such a time.

_ Step _

Not for a moment did he think the sudden light that shone on her disappeared because of anything other than a faulty flicker.

_ Jump _

Every time a ball got close to hitting Yuki during practise or training, he was always close enough to block it, defending her quickly. He never thought much of it, even before he knew the dangers of it hitting her head, he would always stop it.

But this time.

He was too far away.

Keishin's eyes were glued to Yuki when Ushijima smashed the ball forward with his serve, aiming for Nishinoya who was on the left backside of the court, closest to the people sat on the benches. Noya stepped to the left, his arms out, reaching for the ball.

That was when time slowed down. That Keishin's eyes found their way to the ball that bounced off Nishinoya's arms, hurdling towards the woman he loved. His eyes bulged as the ball span, so slow that the three colours stood out distinctly. He jumped to his feet, his body moving on instinct, his arm reaching out. His eyes were frozen open as he leapt forward, glancing back and forth between the ball and Yuki as if he was watching a tennis match. His brows pulled together, beads of sweat on his face.

He was not going to stop it in time.

"YUKI!"


	41. Promise

The ball reflected in Keishin's eyes as it skimmed past his fingertips. Fear crossed his face, his mouth dropping open. He saw the horror that filled her eyes as the ball was inches away from her face, it too close for her to react. Silenced engulfed the hall. His outreached hand shook as he stared at Yuki, lying on the floor, unmoving.

"YUKI!" Keishin yelled again, sprinting forward and falling to the ground beside her. "Yuki, baby!" His voice laced with worry as his shaking hand made his way to cup her face. She was pale, all the blood drained. He leaned forward, ear by her mouth, trying to feel her breath. but when he did not feel it, he pulled away quickly, his hand reaching for the side of her neck. "Come on, come on," he muttered to himself, trying to stay calm.

He still had no idea what would happen if she got hit in the head, maybe it was something he should have asked, gone to the doctors to find out, so if it ever did happen, he knew what to do.

His main concern was answered when he felt her pulse beating lightly against his finger. He half sighed, relieved she was not killed in an instant, but she was still unconscious, and there was no clear indication of what was happening in her head.

"Go to the medical room!" He looked up to Kiyoko, by then, all of Karasuno had crowded around him and Yuki. Kiyoko stared mindlessly for a moment. "KIYOKO!" She snapped away from her trance and nodded before sprinting off. "Takeda phone the ambulance!" Keishin was unaware Takeda was already mid phone call.

Keishin looked back down to Yuki, tears forming in his eyes, his hand on the side of her face. What could he do? What should he do? He cursed to himself for not doing more beforehand to prepare for such a situation. But how could he know? How could anyone have known this could have happened. He never thought of it as a possibility, not really, he simply told the nurse about Yuki's condition to calm his nerves.

"Yuki! Yuki!" Nishinoya cried as he fell down beside his sister. "Wake up! Please!" He tried to grab her by the front of her shirt, trying to shake her awake but Keishin stopped him.

"She's okay!" Keishin told Noya.

"No, she's not, sh-"

"She's breathing!" Keishin reasoned as the medical staff ran in. Keishin's eyes stayed on Yuki as they cleared away the crowd. He wanted nothing more than to be by her side, but he needed to be strong, for the team. The ambulance arrived in minutes, and no one could do anything but watch. No one except the Karasuno team really knew how dire the situation was.

"We're taking her to the hospital. Is anyone here related to her?" One of the medical staff asked, approaching the team.

"I am!" Noya stepped forward, his voice shaky.

"You can come with us." Noya looked to Keishin as if asking permission.

Keishin nodded, walking foward to grab his things. "I'll get there as soon as possible."

"If you leave, you forfeit." Keishin did not see who spoke, but he completely forgot about the match for a few minutes - his mind solely focused on Yuki.

He stopped in his tracks, reality hitting.

_"Fine, I agree t-to these three things. But I have my own c-condition. If something were to happen to me. I want you to prioritise t-the team. No matter what. They need to get to nationals- n-no matter what. I need you to promise me that. The team over me."_

His eyes closed as he remembered her words. When they finally talked after their argument. His promise. His hand balled into a fist. He could not believe what he was about to do.

"Coach?" Noya said.

Keishin opened his eyes to see the team staring at him, then to the side at Yuki being taken away, out of the hall. He sucked in a quick breath.

"We can't forfeit." He said.

"WHAT?" Noya was the only one to find his voice.

"If we leave now, we lose. No Nationals."

"I DON'T CARE! THAT'S MY SISTER, I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE HER ALONE!"

"What good will you do for her? She's unconscious. Here, you can do something. You can win, get to nationals!"

Noya's jaw clenched, and lip curled into a snarled. He looked as though he was ready to kill. "IS THAT ALL YOU CARE ABOUT?" He stormed forward, grabbing Keishin's top into his fist, tears welling up in his eyes. "DID YOU EVER CARE FOR YUKI? WAS IT ALL A LIE?"

"Of course, it wasn't! You think I don't want to be by her side right now!"

"LIAR! YOU NEVER LOVED HER! YOU NEVER CARED! YOU ONLY WANTED HER SO SHE COULD HELP US GET TO NATIONALS!"

Keishin face became red; he grabbed Noya by the shoulders roughly. "You believe that? You truly believe that after everything?!" His facade was breaking, tears stinging his eyes. His anger settled as he met Noya's gaze; they were mixed with fear and barely contained anger.

Keishin's head dropped forward, catching his breath for a moment before meeting Noya's eyes again, his voice grew softer. "I promised her that I would get the team to nationals, no matter what happened to her."

"She could die!" Noya's voice cracked.

"But she won't!" Keishin shook him roughly.

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!"

"Yes, I do! Yuki is a fighter, always has been..." Noya said nothing, eyes looking to the ground as he sniffled softly. "Has she not?"

"She has..."

"She got through it before, and she'll get through it again!" Keishin stood straight, letting go of Noya's shoulders. He put on a brave face as he addressed the team. "What do you think is going to happen when she wakes up and find's out we had to forfeit?"

The boy's eyes shifted to the floor. Some rubbed the nape of their neck, their breathing rapid but shallow, other's held their hand together in front, finding it difficult to swallow, and none of them could meet each other's eyes.

Tanak cleared his throat and looked up; he tried to put on a strong face as he spoke. "She'll blame herself."

"Exactly. She'll never forgive herself. She made a promise that she would get you guys to Nationals." Keishin placed a comforting hand on Noya's shoulder again, making him lookup. "When she wakes up - and she _will_ wake up-, you'll be the first to tell her we made it."

"What if she doesn't wake up?"

"She will. Don't forget how strong she is." Keishin was unsure who he was trying to convince more, Nishinoya or himself.

"Let's do it," Daichi spoke his voice full of power suddenly, he locked eyes with Keishin. "Let's win. For Yuki!"

"YEAH!" The team cheered, motivation running through them as they made their way back to the court.

Keishin looked up to the crowd to his friends, nothing was said between them, but with a quick nod, Yúsuke, Makoto and Saeko left the stands. They would keep an eye on Yuki for him, keep him up to date if anything happened. It would allow him to stay focus on the match rather than worrying about the unknown.

\---

In the end, Tsukishima getting hurt earlier in the match was a blessing in disguise. He ended up being the key reason why Karasuno beat Shiratorizawa. He was the only one that was on his game. Everyone one else, including the Shiratorizawa boys, were struggling to keep concentrated. Even if they did not understand how dangerous the situation was, a medical team rushing in after someone had been hit in the head with a ball would worry anyone, even the seemingly emotionless ace Wakatoshi Ushimjima.

At first, Keishin was close to taking Nishinoya out of the match, the first few minutes be barely responded to the game, but after a talking to from Daichi, he got back into the zone. He wanted nothing more than to be by Yuki's side, and the only way to do that is by finishing the match as quick as possible.

No one celebrated despite the victory. They were going to Nationals, but someone they cared about was in the hospital in a situation no one knew the outcome of. There was a possibility that Karasuno would go to Nationals without their whole team, Yuki may have only been an assistant coach, but she meant much more to the team than that. She was a key part of it, for their motivation and drive. They did not want to go to Nationals without her.

Keishin and Noya politely gave their respects to the opposing team before rushing off and getting a taxi to the hospital. The rest of Karasuno would follow with Takeda in the coach once their stuff was collected.

The two rushed into the hospital together. Keishin took the lead, talking to the receptionist and explaining the situation. Yúsuke already sent the room number Yuki was in before they arrived, so he knew where to go.

Yúsuke, Makoto and Saeko sat outside in the waiting room, Keishin slowed as he saw them.

"I'll be there in a second," he told Noya, who continued his run to the room. Keishin turned to his friends. "Any updates?"

Makoto shook his head. "Yuki's parents arrived, so we've been pushed to the side."

"Yuki's parents?"

"You," Keishin's eyebrows scrunched together, his eyes shut and head hung back. He had only ever met Yuki's mother once, but he had heard enough from Yuki herself to know he was not particularly fond of her. He sucked in a quick breath before turning to face Yuki's mother, who was storming over, hand raised, and finger-pointing at him. "It's because of you!" Her voice was filled with a dark rage. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

Keishin was not one who liked to be accused, but he had to understand why she was so angry. She may have had a strange way of showing her care for Yuki, but there was no doubt that she did, her tear-stained face and puffy red eyes were proof of it.

"I understand you're upset-"

"UPSET?! Is that what you think? I'm furious; this is why i did not want her playing again!"

"I understand-"

"NO YOU DON'T!" Keishin bit the inner of his cheek, trying to stay calm. "You will never understand. That is _my_ daughter, and this is the second time I've had to see her-" Yuki's mother brought her hand to her mouth as her voiced cracked and tears welled up in her eyes. "I should have never let her go to that training."

"No, that's not it. That has nothing to do with it; this was an unfortunate accident-"

"Stop talking like you know anything." Keishin's hands balled into a fist, growing frustrated. "If she never met you, this would have never happened!" Anger resurged in her, her finger pointing at him again.

"What are you talking about? Yuki started playing again before I knew anything of it-"

"Liar!"

"She would have played without me! In fact, she did play without me!"

"LIAR! YOU CONVINCED HER! YOU WERE SELFISH AND WANTED HER FOR YOUR OWN!"

"I've been protecting her!"

"YET SHE'S HERE IN THE HOSPITAL LAYING UNCONSCIOUS ON THE VERGE OF DEATH!"

"NO THANKS TO YOU!" Keishin finally snapped, unable to hold back. He could not believe what he was hearing. His breathing was heavy, and the air was thick with tension. "Volleyball makes her happy, but when she told you that, rather than trying to help her, you sent her away! Where have you been this whole time? Hiding, waiting for her to crawl back to you!"

Yuki's mother opened her mouth to speak again but shut it. She looked away, her hands clutching her small handbag tightly. She looked back to him with a cold stare. "See if you think the same when she doesn't remember who you are!"

Keishin felt as though the air had been punched out of his system. He had not even considered that possibility.

Yuki's mother walked away without another word, but Keishin had no time to think as Yuki's father walked over to him.

"I'm sorry, sir," Keishin sputtered. If anyone spoke to Yuki how he spoke to Yuki's mother, he would have been seething and expected the same from her father. But instead, he held his hand out, stopping him from saying thing else.

"You're Ukai?"

"Yes, sir."

"Please, don't call me sir. The name is Fujio." Keishin slowly nodded, surprised that he too was not raging like Yuki's mother was. "I'm sorry about Saza. She's not in the right headspace right now and is lashing out at everyone. She doesn't know how the handle this... _again_."

Keishin nodded understandingly. "I could see why it would be hard on her - on both of you. I'm sorry I could not-"

"Please, do not apologise. You have nothing to be sorry for. You have done more than enough for Yuki - for my daughter." Fujio sighed softly. "I wish we could have met under different circumstances." Keishin nodded, and they fell into silence.

Keishin did not know what to do or say. He wanted nothing more than to go to Yuki, but he felt, part of him needed the permission of the man that stood in front of him. But Keishin was struggling to find the right words. His head was scrambled, and he felt the stronger part of him was starting to crumble, like any moment, he would break down into tears.

"Thank you," Fujio suddenly said.

Keishin raised an eyebrow. "What? I have not don-"

"A few days ago," Fujio cut him off, "I had some spare time before work, so I popped by the gym to see if I could finally meet you. Unfortunately, you were not there, Yuki said you were working."

"You could have come to the store; I wouldn't have minded."

Fujio breathed a laugh, "that's exactly what she said. But I didn't have the time. The point is, Yuki was playing with the rest of the team, and for the first time in over four years, I saw my little girl again," his voice cracked. He brought his hand to mouth as he blinked away the tears. "I didn't think I'd ever get her back. The same girl before the accident. Loud, bubbly, smiley, _happy_." Keishin smiled softly thinking about Yuki's bright smile that he slowly saw more and more as months went by. "I want to thank you for bringing my daughter back to me."

-

Keishin stood outside Yuki's room, his hand hovering over the handle. He was unsure if he was prepared to see her laying in a hospital bed, unconscious, looking as though she could slip away from him at any minute. He struggled to get the images of her unconsciousness on the floor out of his head as it was.

"We won, you know. We did it; we got to Nationals." Keishin's eyes lit up as he heard Noya's words from inside. He opened the door, grinning, ready to see Yuki's bright eyes and smile, but only to be faced with heartbreak. Noya sat beside Yuki's bed, his head down, forehead pressing against his hands that held Yuki's, tears streaming down his face.

Keishin heart clenched seeing Yuki laying on the bed unmoving, the colour had returned to her face, but it still looked as though she could have been dead. The only thing that signalled she wasn't was the beeping sound of the monitor beside her that kept track of her vitals, and the nebuliser that covered her face to help her breathe.

"It's my fault," Noya suddenly said, catching Keishin's attention. His eyebrows pulled together. "IT'S MY FAULT!" Noya yelled, jumping to his feet, walking to the closest wall. "SHIT!" He pulled his arm back, fist clenched and propelled forward towards the wall, but Keishin grabbed the younger boy in time, stopping him mid-action, wrapping his arms around him.

"Don't be stupid," Keishin said bluntly.

"LET GO!" Noya struggled against Keishin's hold.

"Calm down; this is not going to help you."

"LET GO!"

"NOYA STOP!"

"NO! No....no..." his voice faltered, and his body gave up, falling forward. He breathed heavily as he started to sob, unable to stop the hysterics he was in. "It's my fault," he stammered, his voice strained. "IT'S MY FAULT!" He let out another cry, hiccuping between each breath as he got lost in his tears. "I didn't receive the serve. If I had just done my job, Yuki wouldn't be here."

Keishin's heart ached at Noya's words. He turned Noya and brought him into a tight embrace. Noya did not fight the action, instead, accepting it, letting himself break down. Noya screamed at the top of his lungs, his upper body and shoulders wracked with every sob that forced their way out, his chest rising and falling unevenly as he gasped for breath. He finally had his sister back after four years, just to lose her again.

Keishin placed his trembling hand on top of Noya's head, unsure how to comfort him. He wanted to give him words of comfort and tell him everything would be okay, but how could he say something he struggled to believe himself.

"Don't blame yourself." Keishin found his voice after a few minutes. "She would not want you too."

"But if i-"

"Stop. You're going to make it harder for yourself. There's nothing we can do now."

"But-"

" _Please_ , stop," Keishin begged. Noya heard the desperation in his voice and said nothing else.

-

Ten minutes later is when the rest of the Karasuno team showed up, they were only allowed in pairs into the room, and Keishin took it as his time to pull away from everyone - to take a moment for himself. He followed the corridors of the hospital aimlessly, not bothering to look where he was going, he just wanted to get away, to be alone.

Finally, he came to a stop; the corridor was empty. He looked around, unsure as to why he walked away from the team. He pushed his back against a wall. His hands ran through his hair. His thoughts filled with moments he had with Yuki over the last few months. Smiling, laughing, playing. His heart swelled remembering the first time he saw her jump, the first time he truly saw her face light up with happiness.

His eyes squeezed closed, and lip quivered. And after a moment of holding back, he let out a single sob, his head falling forward and tears finally escaped. His back slid down the wall as he sank to his knees. And suddenly he found himself in an uncontrollable sob. As though the dam wall that was holding back the water broke. His strength to comfort his team finally faltered. His heart ached as his thoughts turned to Yuki on the ground, pale, motionless, for a moment he honestly thought she was dead.

He let out another heart-wrenching sob, his breathing ragged. He pulled his sleeve to wipe away the streaming tears. His eyes unconsciously looked up, and instantly he stood when he saw his grandfather standing in front of him. Keishin said nothing as he once again tried to hold back his tears.

Ikkei Ukai was the stereotypical man, with stereotypical beliefs. Men did not cry. They were strong, and did not show emotion. Keishin expected a lecture of sorts, one he did not want to hear and not one he cared for. He was ready to walk away from the situation, not wanting to face it, but instead, his grandfather grabbed the back of his neck roughly and pulled him close.

Keishin did not expect the action, but was relieved, and dropped his forehead to his grandfather's shoulder. He was able to stop the deep sobs that escaped his lips, but could not stop the constant tears.

Ikkei held his grandson tightly. "She's strong. She'll make it through," he stated.

Keishin said nothing, though his eyes squeezed shut. It was the same thing he had been telling Nishinoya. Just a thing to comfort the boy, give him hope, give a small light in the pit darkness. Keishin was unsure if he believed the words himself. Would she be okay? Even if she did wake up, what state would she be in then? Would she even remember him?

There were too many variables for _'she'll make it through'_ to make sense. Too many possibilities and too many of them caused his heart to ache. Truthfully, Keishin was terrified, because if she did not 'make it through it' then he would not know what to do with himself, what he would do without her.


	42. Smile

Keishin's finger tapped the counter, the other hand, tapped the ashes of his cigarette into the nearly full ashtray. It was a quiet day, like most days in the store, allowing his mind to fill with negative thoughts. Not once did he ever stop thinking about Yuki, though at times he wished he could. He wished he could drink away his sorrow but knew she would frown upon it, so he held back doing so. Even when his friends or mum popped by to distract him, his spirits never lifted.

Every few minutes, he would glance to his phone that sat beside his ashtray. Every time he got a message or a phone call, his heart would clitch as if it were on the verge of exploding.

On the evening of the accident, Yuki's father - Fujio - gave Keishin his number and in turn, Keishin gave him his.

 _'I understand you'll still be working many hours in the store and with the team, I'll try to be here whenever you can't, and if anything changes, I'll let you know as soon as possible.'_ Fujio told Keishin, and so he was always on edge waiting for an update.

Despite the many hours Keishin had to work, he still spent more time in the hospital than he did his own house. He became a recognisable face, one that would give him sad smiles every time he crossed paths with someone in the halls.

The cafeteria staff mainly consisted of ladies in their late seventies; they were sweet and always talked to Keishin when he went to get food. They asked him about Yuki and things they would do before the accident. He never realised it, but by the end of every conversation, he would leave the cafeteria with a soft smile, recalling moments with Yuki.

-

"Have you tried speaking to her?" The main reception asked Keishin as he signed himself in.

"Speaking to her?"

"Yeah, sometimes people can hear what's going on around them despite being in a coma. It could help wake her up, or at least, help her not forget."

He thought the idea was odd at first, talking to Yuki when she obviously could not respond. But, it felt as though it would be better than sitting in silence like he did most days. He sat beside her bed and held her hand in his like he always did. He stared mindlessly forward, trying to find the right words to say.

"It's been hard," he started, "coaching the boys without you." His eyes flickered to her face to look for a reaction of sorts but sighed when nothing changed. He looked back to the white wall, head leaning forward his lips pressing against her hand. "They miss you," he carried on, his voice slow, still unsure on how he felt talking to her when she was unconscious. "Though Hinata is doing well at keeping everyone's spirits up, he keeps saying _'when Coach Nishinoya comes back I'm going to show her how much I've improved'._ He really looks up to you."

"I don't think I realised how much the boys cared for you. I've never seen them so... _lost_. Sometimes I wonder if they even want to train. I try my best to keep their motivation high but- but-" His voice cracked, he closed his eyes, his forehead falling to his hands. He bit on his bottom quivering lip.

"I'm trying to stay strong princess," he cried softly, his grip tightening on her hand, "but I'm so fucking scared that I'm going to lose you." He stayed there for a few moments. Letting tears fall down his face, his sniffles breaking the silence. Around his friends and the team, he kept on a brave face, even if they knew he was struggling, he tried his best not to show it. But when he was with Yuki, alone, he let himself break, he did not see the need to hide his pain.

He felt a slight movement in his hand; he quickly lifted his head, and his eyebrows rose in shock. He froze, his eyes bouncing between her hand and face. Then again, a minute movement made him jump to his feet and lean forward, his hands gently landing on her cheeks.

"Can you hear me, baby?" For the first time since the incident, Keishin felt hope rise in him.

He was unsure whether he imagined Yuki moving or not, but he took it as a sign either way. A sign of faith. He got Kiyoko and Yachi to record segments of Karasuno training, and each evening, Keishin would play it for Yuki and explain how the session went. There was never another movement from her, but he convived himself that she could hear him. Even if she could not understand what he was saying, he hoped that it would help her not forget him when she did wake up.

-

Each night after practise, Keishin would drive Noya and some of the other boys that wanted to visit the hospital. It was always quiet. The odd word said about the training and school, but nothing else. It did not get better when they arrived at her room, which was filled with _'get well soon'_ gifts and flowers. Keishin thought it was too much, especially the flowers. They acted like a timeframe for him. That longer she stayed in the coma, the more dead they became. After a while, it was depressing, going into the room to be met with dead flowers surrounding the room. He wanted to get rid of them sooner, but Fujio had warned him that it was Saza - Yuki's mother's - idea, so to not anger her more, he let them be.

-

It well past midnight, and Keishin had yet to fall asleep beside Yuki like he usually did. He was deep in thought, recollecting their time together in the last few months. He could not believe how different their relationship was, how different Yuki was; she was nearly an entirely new person.

The first day they met, Keishin could not believe what Noya had dragged him into. He thought it was some ploy to get his sister a job; she was a nervous wreck, and Keishin was worried any wrong word would cause her to have a breakdown. He still could not believe he did not realise she was _the_ Yuki Nishinoya from nationals a few years back. How he did not put the pieces together earlier blew his mind.

Keishin found himself impressed by the end of the first day despite the nervous breakdown she was having, she, in fact, did know her stuff when it came to Volleyball. He thought nothing of it then, on how his life would change from their first meeting.

At first, he never saw Yuki as a love interest, not even a friend, just a colleague, just someone to help out with the team more. It was his first time being a coach; he needed every help he could get. But more Keishin thought about it; more he realised he did not remember when he fell for Yuki. He did not even remember when their relationship went past colleague to friends. He racked his brain, searching for any significant moment, but came up short.

He remembered that he liked helping her; enjoyed talking to her and having her by his side. When she left during the Inter-High prelims, when he walked into the hall to her crying, when she refused to return to coaching after Karasuno lost to Aoba Johsai, he thought he was helping her because he was a good person. After all, she was his colleague, but maybe even then subconsciously he had already started falling for her.

Yuki made working at the store somewhat enjoyable. It was the first time he saw glimpses of Noya in her. When she would sing and dance while doing the stock, grinning from ear to ear as if she was in her own world. He did not realise he had been admiring her since then. It was as if he was walking down a set of stairs, and each day he would take a step closer to her without realising, and then suddenly, he fell, and when he hit the bottom, he realised he had fallen for her, hard.

When was the fall though? When did he understand he _needed_ her in his life?

The argument.

Those few weeks felt like months without Yuki, knowing she was angry at him, and no matter what he tried, she would push him away. The days at the store were lonely; training became another chore to his life rather than something he looked forward too. And most of all, he missed when they trained together. When they were able to be silly and have a laugh with no eyes watching, it felt as though, she had let him into her little world she fell into when working at the store. She was comfortable with him, and he was able to see the real her. She was funny and witty, and everything about her was beautiful.

Keishin always thought that when he finally found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, they would be similar to him. They would smoke and drink, and eventually spend their old age on a porch shouting at kids for being too loud. And yet, Yuki was not even close. She was bubbly and caused the most ruckus at times, something he hated, yet when she did it, he loved it, because it made her happy.

In the end, that was all it was, making Yuki happy, because her smile possessed the power to brighten his day. He thought of her smile so often it must have been engraved inside his mind. It was not just the movement of her lips, but the way her face lit up, her voice came with an unexpected bounce, and she walked with confidence. It came from deep inside, her eyes glistening, it was honest, pure, like the ones during childhood, so vibrant and free. No matter how he was feeling, that smile would make everything better, make the issues he was having seems less significant, make him fall in love all over again.

-

"Come on, let's go out," Yusuke said to Keishin. "Let's get a drink to clear your mind a bit." They were in his store, it was empty, mainly due to the heavy snow outside.

"No, I can't, I have to go see Yuki." He grumbled.

Yusuke and Makoto exchange nervous glances. It had been just over four weeks since the incident, four weeks of Yuki being in a coma. But in the last few days, Keishin had taken a turn for the worse. He was sleeping and eating less. Large dark circles hung from under his eyes which were never still, and never looked at his friends except in passing. His mind was constantly working, never taking time for himself, and his friends were becoming worried.

"One night will be okay, she'll understand."

"No," Keishin answered bluntly.

"Keishin, honey, please go with your friends," his mother's soft voice joined the conversation as she made her way closer to the group. She too was worry about the mental and physical health of her son.

"I need to be with her. I want to be."

"But you need to take care of yourself as well," Yusuke replied sharply.

Keishin met his friend's eyes. He knew they were right. He was just struggling to stay strong. His bottom lip jutted out, his eyes falling back to the floor.

"I know, I-I-" his eyes shut as tears formed, his chest became tight, and he struggled to find his breath. "I don't know how much longer I can do this for," he mumbled, trying his best to keep his voice from breaking. "I'm trying to be strong for the boys, but I feel like I'm in a losing battle."

Keishin's mother walked over and held her son close to her chest. He gripped her tightly as his shoulder's started to shake. He had become good at hiding how broken he truly felt from his friends and family. He did not want anyone to know how much he was genuinely hurting. He needed to be strong for his boys, because if he broke who would stop them from breaking too?

But it was getting too much. Each day dragged out, each day, he lost more and more hope. Last time she was in a coma for over a year. There was no telling how long she would be in this one for, and the thought alone made his heartache. He went from spending every day with her, despite their busy lives, to him only seeing her for a few hours in the hospital.

He bit on his shaky lip. "I-I feel so lost." He chocked out. "I don't know how I'm going to take the team to Nationals without her." His breathing was ragged but slow. "I don't want to do it without her."

His mum held him tightly, unable to find any words to help him. Yusuke and Makoto watched sadly from the side, distraught they could not help their best friend.

**BEEP BEEP BEEP**

Keishin lifted his head to his phone ringing; he used the back of his sleeve to wipe away his tears to read the words on his screen.

**Caller: Fujio Nishinoya**

Keishin's face paled.

Never before had Fujio called him before. They had exchanged messages in the last few weeks, letting each other know when they would be at the hospital so they would never overlap. Keishin stood up in an instant.

Something had happened.

Something changed.

There was an alertness in his eyes as he picked up the phone, his hand shaking. He swallowed nervously, reading the words over and over again. Reluctantly, he swiped up on the green icon and brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello..." he managed to say with a shaky breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone wants to be kept updated on when the next chapter/s will be published feel free to follow me on my Twitter @/karasunoparking (https://twitter.com/KarasunoParking) where I try my best to let people know what I'm writing and when I think it'll be published by.


	43. Truth

"She's awake."

Keishin was unsure he heard Fujio correctly.

"S-She's awake?"

"Yes a-"

Keishin pulled the phone away from his ear, the side of his lips tugging into a grin. He looked to his friends, a spark in his brown eyes that were filled with darkness only a few seconds before.

"She's awake," he repeated, though his voice was only just above a whisper, struggling to believe his own words. "She's awake!" he pipped up, his hands reaching up to Yúsuke's shoulders. "SHE'S AWAKE!" He shook him roughly. It was as if he had a sudden sugar rush; he did not know what to do with the energy coursing through his body. "I've got to go see her!"

"Go, I'll close the store, don't you worry!" Keishin's mother said. He pulled her into a tight hug, unable to hold down his smile.

"I'll be there soon," he quickly said into the mic of his phone before hanging up. He gave a final glance to his friends before sprinting out of the door and to his car. The journey had never felt so long, the traffic lights seem to take years before changing to green and felt as though an elderly person was driving every car he got stuck behind. His finger impatiently tapped the steering wheel, his knee bouncing - he was like a child on his way to a sweet shop; he could not control his emotions.

He was finally getting his girl back.

Keishin mumbled many ' _sorry_ ' as he entered the hospital, weaving through different people. He did not bother to sign in at the reception, knowing the adrenaline would not allow his body to do such a calm task.

"Hey, you've got to sign in!" A younger man yelled as Keishin ran past, the receptionist went to contact security, but the lady next to him placed a hand on his shoulder. The same lady who had gotten to know Keishin over the last few weeks, seeing him nearly every day come in to stay by his girlfriend. She heard the news that Yuki had woken up, and she was happy for the couple, knowing Keishin would run in at one point.

"Don't worry, he's fine. I'll sign in for him." She smiled softly.

Keishin slowed at a corner where a group of patients and visitors crowded the elevator. His finger tapped his leg, and he nibbled on his bottom lip. His eyes looked at the number's lighting up as the elevator made it's way down. However, he turned on his heels and went back into a sprint. He could not just wait; even for a few seconds, his body would not let him.

He burst the door open to the staircase, mumbling another apology to a gentleman he startled before he ran up the steps, skipping two at a time. After four weeks, he knew the hospital like the back of his hand. He knew exactly where to go. He burst through another door, running down the familiar halls that lead to Yuki's room. Many patients and hospital staff greeted him as he went by; he tried his best to be polite despite being breathless.

"Is everything okay?" One of the older ladies from the cafeteria asked as he went by.

"SHE'S AWAKE!" Was all that needed to be said for the women not to hold him up, though even if they wanted to ask more they could not, he was gone in an instant.

Keishin's run did not slow as he approached her room. His mind was racing with thoughts. Thoughts on how he would hold her, kiss her, tell her he loved her. She was back. He needed to tell the boys, though he was sure Nishinoya had beaten him to it.

He stopped outside her room, and without hesitation, opened the door.

Yuki was sat up in the hospital bed, speaking to Noya that sat beside her. Keishin wondered if he was dreaming again. That in a moment's notice she would disappear, and a gravestone would replace her just like his nightmare the last few weeks. But there she stayed. She turned to look at him. Her eyes bored into his, her expression unchanging.

Keishin had neglected the possibility that she could forget who he is. It had slipped his mind when Fujio told him she was awake. Fujio tried to say something else to him when he hung up the phone. He had not checked it since he left the store, so if he sent any messages, Keishin would not have seen them. His heart felt as though it was ripped from his chest. His stomach turned, and he had to hold down his hand from covering his face as he thought to hurl.

_What if she doesn't fall for me again..._

His throat became dry.

_What if I lost her anyway..._

Tears stung his eyes.

_What am I meant to do without her?_

But his worries were washed away when Yuki smiled. Her beautiful broad smile that made his heartbeat just a little faster. The smile that he thought he would not see again. The smile that made all the pain fade away.

"Keishin!"

He laughed slightly, his chin trembling, a sudden weight lifted off his shoulder's. He said nothing as he approached her, pulling her into a tight embrace - a wave of relief washed over him as he held her close.

"Let's give them a moment," Fujio said to Noya, both of them leaving, so Yuki and Keishin had the room.

They stayed like that for a while, Keishin could not let go, unable to believe that she was in his arms and awake - alive.

"Hey, you okay?" she asked, her hand gently rubbing circles on the back of his neck. He pulled away slowly, his hands reaching up to cup her face. His eyes scanned her features, ensuring to engrave every detail of her into his mind.

"Yeah," he was able to whisper, worried if he spoke any louder he would fall into a pit of tears again. "I was just so scared."

"What was scarier? T-this or that movie we watched after the beach?" Keishin let out a dry chuckle, his head shaking. At least he knew she had not changed. But after a moment she spoke again, her voice soft though with a serious undertone. "I'm sorry for scaring you."

"It's okay; it was not your fault." His thumb stroked the side of her cheek.

"If I was faster at react-"

"It's not your fault, and I don't want to hear it again." Yuki understood how serious he was and agreed to drop it. From what her father told her before Keishin arrived, he had been a mess the last few weeks. Part of it made her heart flutter that he cared so much while the other felt broken that he was so torn up because of her. She saw the dark circles under his eyes, the redness that surrounded them, even with how happy he was, she could see how bad he looked.

Yuki leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss of his lips. She did not pull away, and he returned it, keeping it soft and sweet - as if she was fragile, and if he went to hard, she could break. He kept his face close and eyes shut even when their lips separated. He took in her scent; his thumb rubbed the side of her cheek - she was warm. For the first time in weeks, he felt at ease, he was happy.

"I love you," he breathed. Yuki did not jerk back despite her surprise. "I don't expect or want you to say it back, but I needed you to know."

Yuki eyed him, grinning to herself, watching his chest rise and fall slowly, his face was relaxed, and the corner of his lips upturned. "Keishin."

"Yeah?" he opened his eyes to meet hers.

"I love you too."

"You do?" his eyes lit up. "I told you, you don't have to say it if you're not ready-"

"I. Love. You," she interrupted. "I have done, for a while now, but I never said anything before cause I was worried you weren't there yet."

Keishin's face glowed, happy tears stinging in his eyes, his smile becoming goofy with how wide it had become. He leaned forward again for a hungrier kiss. It was urgent and wet, but still deep and passionate. Yuki's hand gripped his top, holding him closer, while his hand had slipped around her waist and the back of her head. They craved each other, even if Yuki had been in a coma, she still felt as though she had been missing him all the same.

When they separated, they met eyes for a moment before chuckling lightly. They may have got slightly carried away, Yuki's hair far messier than it was a few minutes prior, and Keishin's shirt had a clear crinkle in the centre of it.

**KNOCK KNOCK**

The two cleared their throat, and Yuki attempted to fix her hair.

"If I could just talk to you for a minute Ukai," Fujio said, peeking his head into the room.

"Yes, of course." He turned back to Yuki, taking her hand into his and gave a gentle kiss on her knuckles. "I'll be back in a second."

As he started to walk away, Yuki called out to him; he turned to see her bright red cheeks. "I love you."

Keishin smiled. "I love you too."

Noya ran past him back to his sister as Keishin stepped outside with Fujio.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, shutting the door behind him.

"Depends what you mean by okay."

"Did the doctors say something about Yuki?" Keishin panicked.

"No," Fujio quickly shut down his negative thoughts. "Yuki is fine; doctor's want her to stay a few more days so they can keep an eye on her, but, this was the best possible outcome. No head trauma, no amnesia."

"Then what's wrong?"

Fujio took a deep sigh, hands on his waist, eyeing Keishin. "Saza is on the way."

"Shit..."

Both men knew what that meant. It was no secret that Yuki's mother - Saza - had been emotionally even worse in the last few weeks. It all came from a good place, she cared for Yuki, no one could deny that, but she was letting the emotions get the better on her. She was lashing out at everyone, including Noya and Fujio. She still contuied to blame the whole situation on Keishin, but he tried not to let that bother him.

Neither of them knew what Saza's reaction would be. Neither were practically excited about it either. Yuki had just woken up, the last thing she needed was Saza shoving her ideals down her throat.

"Just do me one favour," Fujio started.

"Anything."

"Please stay by Yuki's side."

Keishin smirked. "Of course, I had no intentions of leaving anytime soon." The two shared an understanding smile.

Fujio lifted his hand and placed it on Keishin's shoulders. "You're a good man. I'm happy my daughter is with you." Keishin could not help the rise in his chest at the man words. Getting his blessing meant more to Keishin than he realised.

-

Ten minutes later is when Saza arrived. Fujio and Keishin exchanged a look as she cuddled her daughter tightly. Muttering words such as _'it's so good to see you.' 'I've missed you'. You look great.'_ Yuki was surprised by the action. She had not seen or spoke to her mother since their argument.

"I feel g-great. No anaemia this time," Yuki grinned. However, Saza's enthusiasm did not match as she cast a cold glare Keishin's way. He could not help but feel a surge of anger, Saza was obviously disappointed that Yuki's memory was still intact, mainly because she remembered _him_.

"Can we have the room, please?" Saza said with a sickly sweet voice. Their eyes locked like magnets, the fake excitement she was exuding did not meet her steely piercing eyes. His eyes narrowed, seeing past her bullshit. But before he could say anything, Yuki's squeezed his hand, grabbing his attention.

"It's okay," she said half-heartedly.

Keishin argued with himself, his eyes bouncing between the two women, and then to Fujio who stood behind Yuki's mother. He had his arms over his chest, lips pursed, he too was not keen on the situation at hand; nevertheless, he nodded.

"Of course, darling. We'll just be outside."

Keishin, Fujio and Noya waited outside the room. Keishin was unsure if Noya had picked up on the tense atmosphere, but if he had, he was not showing it. He paced and back and forth a few meters from the men, on the phone talking with Tanaka and some of the other Karausno boys who were on their way to the hospital. Even from where Keishin was standing, he could hear Hinata's voice yelling something incoherent every few minutes.

Keishin and Fujio said nothing as they waited patiently for the conversation between Saza and Yuki to be over. Keishin's mind was racing with thoughts of what it could be. Surely it could be nothing that bad. Saza was more on the emotional side, but she was not psychotic. So Keishin thought.

"This is bullshit!" Fujio and Keishin's eyes locked in a shared understanding when they heard Yuki's strained voice. Fujio opened the door, and both men were faced with Yuki on the verge of tears and face red with anger.

"What's going on?" Fujio questioned as both of them walked further into the room.

"SHE'S CRAZY!" Yuki screeched, hands out towards Saza.

"Oh so caring for my daughter is crazy now?"

"You're threatening me!"

"I'm not threatening you! I just want you to drop this volleyball nonsense and come home!"

"Yeah if I don't I'll be homeless!"

"Homeless?" Keishin said.

"Yes! Apparently, grandad does not want me staying at his anymore!" Yuki looked at Fujio and Keishin, hand raised and finger-pointing towards Saza. "I don't know what she did, b-but she did something!"

"I didn't do anything!" Saza interjected. "He does not want you getting hurt again. He feels responsible for supporting you!"

"No, y-you just made him feel guilty!"

"ENOUGH!" Fujio voice silenced both women. Even Keishin was taken back by his sudden outburst. Fujio was a respected man, he was not easily angered, and no one wanted to be around when he was. His stare alone was intimidating, calm, but intense - the type of behaviour matching one of a headteacher in a school. He did not physically have to be intimidating when his presence alone exuded power.

"Yuki," his voice softened ever so slightly. "you'll be staying here for a few more days, during this time I'll look for a hotel for you to stay at until we can find you a permanent place to stay."

Yuki's eyes lit up, but Saza's face screwed together.

"Are you serious?" Both said at the same time, though the meaning behind their words was completely different. Yuki was filled with excitement, while Saza felt she had been betrayed.

"Yes," Fujio replied matter-of-factly, making it clear it was not up for discussion.

"Bu-"

"But nothing Saza. I will not stand by and watch as you try to blackmail our daughter."

"I'm trying to keep her sa-"

"We're leaving."

"What? No I-"

"We're leaving," his words came out slow, accompanied with a dark stare. Saza's eyebrows pulled together, her breathing hitched in her throat. Her lip wobbled as her eyes looked everywhere to avoid Fujio's. But after a moment, she sucked in a quick breath, standing straight and walking out of the room giving neither Yuki nor Keishin a second look.

Fujio placed a soft kiss on Yuki's head. "I'll be back soon."

"Thank you, dad."

"No worries sweetie."

Fujio gave Keishin a final nod before walking away, leaving Keishin and Yuki alone. Her head fell into her hands, sighing deeply. Keishin did not say anything, his hand gently squeezing her leg to show her he was there if she needed. After a few minutes, she ran her hands through her hair and looked up.

"Thank you," she said suddenly.

"It's okay; I'll always be here, you know that."

"Not for that." Keishin's eyebrow raised, confused. "For getting the team to nationals," Yuki explained. "Yú told me everything. Thank you f-for, keeping your promise."

Keishin's smiled softly. It had been on his mind, whether he did the right thing or not to prioritise the team. But seeing Yuki smiling at him, thanking him for it, made him realise he did make the right decision.

"Can't imagine that was easy for you."

Keishin laughed lightly, "yeah, no, it wasn't," he took her hand into his own, squeezing it gently, "but I knew you would be okay."

The two stayed in silence for a few minutes. They were enjoying each other's company. Keishin was savouring every moment with her, even if he was just watching her. She kissed him again - the same gentle touch from before. He felt like he was on cloud nine, his body weightless, and each time their mouths move in sync, he felt himself fall more and more.

"I wish every day I could just be with you, like this," Yuki murmured against his lips, her hot breath mixing with his. "Just us, no worries." Keishin hummed in agreement, his eyes still closed, lost in her touch. "This month is going to be so stressful." He opened his eyes and pulled away slightly to show he was listening.

Yuki focused on the empty space between them. "I need to catch up on training with both myself and the team, I've probably missed so much.."

"Hey," he lifted her chin so she would meet his eyes, "we'll get through this, okay?"

Yuki nodded. "I know it's just, with this whole living arrangement, it's another issue I did not think I would have to face, and it's going to be a pain even if my dad is helping. Have to look for a place to stay, while in the meantime staying at a hotel, I have to move my belongings, not that I own much anyway." She sighed heavily, her shoulder's lifting and dropping. "It's just a pain, ya know?"

Keishin did not respond, though his eyes fell and eyebrows pulled together. Yuki's head cocked to the side. "Everything okay?"

He met her eyes again, his lips pursed. "What if you stayed with me?" Yuki was taken aback. The statement was blunt. "Sorry," he quickly sat up, realising what he had said, he did not mean to speak the thought out loud. "Just an idea, would save the hassle of a hotel and finding a place. You don't have to, don't feel pressured," he started to panic, worried he had taken a step too far forward. "Just - uh - maybe even just instead of a hotel, can leave once you find your own place." A bead of sweat formed at the top of his head.

"You wouldn't mind me staying at yours?"

His shoulder's relaxed. "No, of course not. I love when you stay over."

"But isn't staying over once every week a little different to me living there? I mean. It's your house."

"Could be ours." Yuki's stomach tied in a knot, her mouth half-open, lost for words, the edges of them tugging upwards. "If you're not ready, that's okay. It's just an idea, to make things a little less stressful. But, if I'm honest," he nervously chuckled, his eyes glancing down to their hands, his thumb rubbing the back of her hand before looking up again. "I would love for you to move in, and wake up beside you every day. Maybe it is too quick, but all I know is that I don't want anyone else, ever. You're who I want to spend the rest of my life with, so whether it be now or in the future, I'm ready for the house to be our's, not mine."

Yuki's mouth dropped open, and for a moment Keishin thought he had said too much, that he had scared her away. But, Yuki laughed, and lunged forward, wrapping her arms around him. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" She said.

"Yes?" His eyes lit up as she pulled back, their eyes meeting.

"YES!" She pulled his face close, smashing her lips into his, possibly slightly more aggressive than she intended. Keishin was surprised but embraced it anyway. She held him close as she chuckled, her body filled euphoria. It was hardly kissing at one point, their lips were touching, but Yuki was so overwhelmed and in a fit of giggles that their lips were just grazing, not that he minded, also feeling over the moon.

"IS THIS TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR?" Yuki and Keishin's head snapped to the door. Tanaka stood, his arms outstretched towards them, his mouth wide open, and the rest of the team standing behind him. Yuki and Keishin pulled away from each other, both their cheeks burning red.

Keishin cleared his throat and stood up, his hands sliding down the top of his trousers to rid of his sweaty hands, and to readjust his pants slightly. "I'll phone your dad to let him know." He told Yuki with a quick nod before walking out. However, he gave the boys - specifically Tanaka - a piece of his mind just outside the room making her chuckle.

Only a few seconds later did her near-empty room become filled with many of the Karasuno boys. They were all excited to see her, the older ones giving their respects, while Yú, Tanaka and Hinata made quite the noise. Filling Yuki in on _everything_ she missed the last month. It was chaotic and loud, and she found herself laughing for most of the time.

"Oh, I nearly forgot," Daichi spoke up, pulling his phone out. Yuki raised an eyebrow as it started to ring. A moment later, someone picked up, and Daichi turned the camera so she could see who it was.

"HEY, HEY, HEY, YOU'RE AWAKE!"

"Bokuto!" Yuki grinned when his face popped up on the screen. "Akaashi! Hello!" She waved when he also came into view.

"We heard you were awake and wanted to say Hi! How are you?" Bokuto asked, grinning like he always did.

Before Yuki could answer, Bokuto and Akaashi became small, and another screen appeared.

"Kuroo! Kenma!" Kuroo grinned, though Kenma only hummed in acknowledgement as he was too busy looking at his video game.

Time ticked by, and it was getting late; eventually, Keishin had to make all the boys leave, reminding them that they had training the next day.

"We wanted to come down, but you guys are so far away," Bokuto pouted, warming Yuki's heart, he was too sweet for his own good.

"Don't worry about it; we'll s-see each other at Nationals!"

"YEAH!" Bokuto cheered.

"See you, and beat you," Kuroo smugly answered, causing an uproar from the Karasuno team.

Yuki chuckled, taking in the moment. It was crazy, the little group they had, nothing ever made sense, something was always going on, and she loved it. It was her little family, and if she did get into Japan, she would miss training with them.

All the boys left, though Yú tried his best to stay, and once again Keishin and Yuki were alone. She scooted up on the hospital bed, leaving enough room for Keishin to lay beside her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and her head fell on his chest. She insisted he did not have to stay, should go home and have a shower, but he had done just that when the Karasuno boys visited. Part of her felt guilty that he was staying with her, but he made it clear he was happier with her than in his bed alone.

Yuki's eyes stared out of the window and watched as the snow fell.

"I only have a month until the trial," she started before pushing herself to look at him. "Have they contacted you yet? About the exact date."

"Yes," Keishin answered.

"Well...what day is it?"

Keishin sighed, his hand reaching to the back of his neck. "January 5th."

"Urgh, I was hoping it would be the end of January so I could catch up with training. I don't even k-know if I'll be able to get good enough with only a month remaining..."

Keishin did not reply. Yuki's eyebrows pulled together. The date rang a bell, but she was unsure why. "January 5th..." she mumbled as if repeating it would answer her question. Her finger tapped her forehead. "January 5th, is there something else happening on that day?" A few more seconds ticked by.

Then, it hit her.

"That's the same day as Nationals." She looked to Keishin for conformation; he did not meet her eyes, staring at the blank wall in front of them.

Slowly he nodded. "Yep..."


	44. Fly

"Well, maybe if someone told me earlier, I would have come to visit!" Izumi said making Yuki chuckle.

"I'm sorry, I've been busy!" Keishin defended. They were in the car, driving to his house, Yuki had just been let out of the hospital, and she was face timing Izumi who had only found out Yuki had woken up and was annoyed.

"It's fine," Yuki assured her friend, "you said you'd be at the trials, right?"

"Of course. I need to see who could be joining the team."

"Then we'll see each other there," Yuki forced a smile, but even after so many years, Izumi could see through her.

"You're going to do well. You are naturally talented for Volleyball. Try not to worry."

"That's what I've been trying to tell her!" Keishin added. Yuki sighed softly.

"I know, just scary, you know. It could change my whole life."

-

Yuki slowly followed Keishin into the house; she was nervous. She was moving in with him, and it did not scare her, but it put a strange feeling into her stomach. She was more worried about what Keishin was thinking, she was more than happy, but it was his house. What if he was letting her stay because he felt guilty with the accident? What if he wasn't actually ready?

"Hey," he pulled her from thought, taking her hand into his. "stop overthinking." he walked backwards, pulling her with him.

"I'm not overthinking..."

"But that's your overthinking face." Yuki sheepishly smiled, looking to the ground, her cheeks growing red. He stopped in the middle of the living room, closing the gap between them and gently turning her head to look at him. "I know this is a big step, and if you're not ready th-"

"No, I am ready; it's just," she sighed softly, nibbling on her bottom lip. "It's  _ your _ house."

"It's  _ ours, _ " he corrected. Yuki looked down to the floor but allowed him to lead her to the bedroom. He stopped her in front of the wardrobe and opened it, catching her attention.

"I've cleared out clothes I don't wear anymore, left a good amount of space." Her eyebrows raised.

"Left space?"

"For your stuff. Me and your dad brought it over last night. The bathroom is the same; I cleared space." Yuki's mouth hung open, her head tilted to the side. Before it did not seem real, just an idea, afterthought with the accident, but suddenly it sunk in.

It was real. Maybe for a moment, it was too fast, and then it finally caught up with her. She smirked, her head nodding slightly.

"I'll make food while you get comfortable," he tried to walk away, but Yuki grabbed his hand.

"Unpacking can wait till later," she said, turning to face him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Want to do something else? I can help you unpack it you n-" she cut him off with a kiss. It was unexpected but welcomed.

"I think it's time."

"Time for what?"

Yuki lightly bit his bottom lip before breathing, "that you fuck me."

Keishin eyes widened, he had not expected the comment. But then he smirked. He loved her random spurs of confidence. She planted another kiss, her fingers playing on the edge of his jeans.

He pulled away and met her eyes, though his hands stayed at her face. "Are you sure you're ready?" He needed to be sure, the last thing he wanted was for her to regret it.

She pulled his shirt up slowly. "I was planning on doing this when we won against Shiratorizawa." He allowed her to pull it over his head. Her hand trailed down his chest and to the hem of his pants. Her tongue traced his bottom lip. "You're three weeks overdue."

There was a moment of tension, where their breaths mixed, their bodies touched, heating radiating of the both of them before suddenly he pushed his lips against hers, his hands grasped the bottom her thighs, picking her up. She followed his lead, wrapping herself around him as he led them to the bed, placing her down on her back. 

It was sloppy, hot, sweet, passionate. Something only two felt when they were truly in love.

-

The rest of the month was a blur. Everyone was working as hard as they could to prepare for Nationals, and Yuki even harder to prepare for the trial. She only trained mornings for the first week, but then she moved to mornings and evenings with Coach Ukai. She was exhausted every time she got home, and she was happy to fall asleep beside Keishin each night. Even if she was too tired to talk, he always held her close, and when they woke, they ensured to spend some of the mornings together before going off to do their respected work.

Since the accident, Keishin found himself gravitating towards Yuki more. He was less conscious of his surroundings, or more he did not care. Even during training with Karasuno, he would always end up being close to her, an arm around her waist or head resting on her shoulders. It became such a regular sight that even Tanaka has stopped teasing them, though also because Daichi told him off every time he tried. But overall, there was shared understanding since the accident, everyone was more aware of Yuki, and how easily she could be taken from them.

The up and coming trial was a discussion Yuki was not excited for. Not only was it on the same day as the first day of Nationals, but it was also at the same time as the first match. She would not be there for Karasuno's first match, and in turn, they would not be there for her trial. No one was pleased with the situation, but they could not let it falter their motivation. As long as they won their first match, she could be there for the rest of them.

Christmas snuck up on Yuki, it was usually a holiday she enjoyed and looked forward too, but with so much going on, she did not even realise it until a week before. And for the first time, she was dreading it. It was a day she spent fondly with her family, her mother, father, brother, and for the first time, she would be without them.

Keishin, of course, invited her to spend it with his family, which she happily agreed too. By then she knew many parts of his family, met them, talked to them, she was very close with his grandfather Coach Ukai and his mother. But still, when she woke up Christmas morning, it did not feel the same.

"Merry Christmas, baby," Keishin said, placing a gentle kiss on her head when she woke up. She smiled up at him, leaning into his chest.

"Merry Christmas."

Yuki stared out of the window, watching as the snow fell while they waited for their Hot Chocolate to be done. He wrapped his arms around her waist, placing a kiss on her neck before putting his head on her shoulders, watching with her. He started to hum a Christmas song, swinging her slightly back and forth. She smiled softly, joining him in his tune.

"Hey," he started, turning her around, so they were facing each other. "I know this isn't the Christmas you want, but -"

She placed a finger to his lips. "As long as I'm with you, I'm happy." His eyebrows furrowed together, she leaned up and gave him a peck on the lips. "I promise." Keishin was unsure he believed her but did not push the matter; he would do all he can to keep her mind preoccupied.

"Good. So, presents?"

"Presents."

Yuki had to hold down a chuckle as Keishin walked over to her. His mother had given them matching Christmas jumpers. His had a tiny Santa body on it, the neck finishing at the collar, and her's had a small woman with a red dress on, she guessed it was supposed to be Mrs Claus. Honestly, they were ugly sweaters, and it made Yuki love it that much more.

"Want to go first?" he asked.

"Sure."

The exchange of presents was cute, fun. They started with smaller gifts first. Yuki had mainly got him clothes, saying his wardrobe needed a slight 'upgrade' which he was only slightly offended about. Music was on in the background as they laughed and talked their way through it. Keishin spent most of the time teasing her because she delicately opened the wrapping paper rather than ripping it open.

His presents consisted of small bits and bobs that would make it more 'homey' for her. She got her own mug, a few pictures of Yuki with her father and brother that could be placed around the house, even one of her and Keishin to put in the living room which she found particularly cute. It was the picture from the beach, holding the trophy. She wished her presents had been more sentimental.

"Okay, last one," Keishin said, "but you've got to close your eyes." Yuki did not argue, closing her eyes instantly. After a second, she felt his hands brush across her collarbone, moving either side of her neck. She hummed softly at his touch, even though his hands were rougher than most, she loved his touch, it was comforting. "You can open them."

Yuki looked down; it was no surprise the present was a necklace. At the pinnacle of it was two dark crows. One slightly bigger than the other. They were looking over each other's shoulders. The wings were detailed, each line engraved deeply. Its eyes, despite small, were the first thing that caught her attention. It was 3D, but not big enough to feel the weight of it against her chest.

"It's beautiful," she mumbled, her hand holding on to it as she looked up to meet his eyes. He smiled softly, scootching closer to her.

"You like it?"

"Yes, of course."

Keishin's hand raised and cupped her's around the crows. His lips pressed together, his eyes on their hands. "You okay?"

His eyes locked to her's, breathing a laugh before looking away, his cheeks becoming red. "Yes - I just, well..."

"Well, what?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

Yuki grabbed his hands before he could pull away. "I thought we agreed we'd always tell each other what's on our mind. No secrets."

Keishin blew his cheeks out, looking back to her. "I wanted to tell you something, but Yúsuke told me it was the cheesiest thing he had heard since those America Twilight films."

Yuki let out a chuckle. "Well, Yúsuke is single, so what does he know?"

"True," Keishin smiled softly.

Yuki leaned forward, nosing him. "Come on, tell me, I like cheesy."

Keishin bit the inside of his cheek, and after a moment nodded. His hands returned to the necklace, his eyes avoiding her as he started to speak. "I know you're worried about the trial coming up. And I wish I could be there to support you, all the boys do. But I don't want you to feel alone." He swallowed, his mouth becoming dry. "That's why I got this, so you know you're not alone. I'm always going to be there, maybe not physically all the time, but I'm still supporting you, where ever I am."

Yuki said nothing, her mouth ajar as she processed his words. Her eyes became watery, her bottom lip trembling as she tried not to burst into tears. Before Keishin could take her reaction as bad, she pounced on him, kissing him roughly.

"So, not too cheesy?" he chuckled between kisses.

"It was extremely cheesy, and I loved it," she held his cheeks in her between her hands, squishing them together. "I love you."

He grinned, "I love you too, baby."

Thankfully, they did not have to arrive at his mother's place until the afternoon - giving them the morning to do as they pleased.

-

Christmas with Keishin's family was great, everyone was nice, Yuki laughed, talked, got to know everyone better, and lots of presents were given to her, so much she felt guilty that she did not get enough for everyone else. But even then, she could not help but miss her brother and father. They had messaged a few times, but it was not the same. She missed messing with Yú, talking through their presents together, when they were younger they always cause a ruckus together with their new toys.

** Knock Knock **

Yuki paid no mind to the door as she listened in on a conversation Old Coach Ukai and Keishin were having.

"Sorry we're late, but we've brought presents!" Yuki turned around to see who had joined the gathering. Her jaw dropped when she saw Yú and her father standing in front of her, bags in their hands. Her father caught her eye. "Didn't think I could have Christmas without my little girl now, did you?"

-

The 4th of January arrived, and Yuki felt as though she was going to be sick. She knew it was coming and yet it still sneaked up on her. No matter how much she trained, she could never prepare for the nerves that came with playing on a bigger stage.

"Ready to go?" Keishin asked. Yuki nodded, walking towards the door. "You got your phone?" She nodded again. His eyebrows pulled up, his eyes glancing to the kitchen counter where her phone sat. He picked it up. "Your helmet?" She nodded again, opening the front door. He sighed, seeing it on the table in the living room. "Have you at least got your bag?" Finally, she stopped, her hand raising to touch the straps around her shoulder.

"I've got everything."

Keishin frowned, she sure as hell did  _ not  _ have everything. He threw her the keys so she could open the car before checking the house one last time. Ensuring she did indeed had everything. No matter what he said to her, the nerves were getting the better of her, and he was starting to worry if she could keep her mind straight during the trial.

Keishin and Yuki were the last to arrive at Karasuno Highschool. The atmosphere was filled with excitement from all the boys, even those who were sick with nerves. Takeda did his usual speech to the boys, but before they entered the coach, Yuki spoke up. Her mind was preoccupied with the trial, but she knew she had to say something to the team, the boys who had become her family over the last few months.

"This will probably be the last time I-I will be able to talk to you guys properly before your first match," she started, doing her best to push away her shaky voice. "And so, I want to say thank you. Before I came to coach you guys, my life was very different. Very boring, even with Yú in the house it was quiet." She chuckled slightly before her chest rose, and she met all their eyes. "You guys brought back meaning into my life, and each of you, whether you realised it or not made an impact on me. I'm sorry I can't be there for the first match, so you better win so I can be there for the next. Even if the Japan Trial does not go well-"

"It will go well," Daichi cut her off. Everyone's head snapped towards him. He was the last one anyone would expect to cut either of the coaches off. "Please do not focus on us, I'll make sure we will win, and you make sure you get in."

Yuki could not help but smirk, her chin rising. "That's a big statement." She stuck out her hand to him. "But I trust you, so you best keep to your word,  _ Captain _ ."

-

The nerves faltered slightly during the journey, the excitement from the rest of the team rubbed off on Yuki, and she was singing and dancing in her seat, ensuring the music was loud. Though Keishin was not keen with the commotion going on, he was glad she had calmed down. He would rather her be overexcited that overwhelmed.

"We're here."

Yuki scrambled out of the bus with everyone else, feeling the need to stretch her legs. Two buildings were in front of them, both hotels, and she knew which one the boys were staying vs the one she was in. She blew raspberries as the truck was unloaded, her legs started to bounce again, the nerves resurfacing.

"You got all the details?" Keishin asked, walking over to her.

"What?" she blinked dumbly at him.

"For the hotel?"

"Oh, yeah, it's all i-in my phone."

Keishin sighed and stood in front of her, blocking her vision of the team. He cupped her face with his hands. "You've got to calm down. You won't be able to play like this."

"You don't think I know that?" she snapped back, looking down at the floor. "I'm trying! I really am b-"

"It's okay; I just need you to promise me something." She met his eyes. "Tomorrow, don't watch the Karasuno game."

"What, why not?"

"Because if we're losing, you won't be able to focus on yourself. Tomorrow is  _ your  _ day; the team is not your priority any-"

"Yes, it is."

"No, it isn't." His voice became stern. "If we lose tomorrow so be it, we try again next year. But if you lose focus tomorrow, you could lose your chance at being a pro. You might not get another opportunity again." Yuki knew he was right. "Promise me."

"I promise, tomorrow I focus on myself no matter what."

"Good girl," he muttered as he placed a kiss on her head.

"I thought you only said that in the bedroom." Keishin ears grew pink but chuckled nonetheless, squeezing her in a tight hug. Her cheeky comment allowed him to relax, at least she was herself again, even if it was for a moment.

Yuki said her final good luck and goodbye's to the team before making her way into the large building beside the small inn they were staying at. It was paid for by the company running the trial, though she was sure Izumi had insisted on it. Her nerves dissipated when Izumi was at the front desk waiting for her, and for the rest fo the day, the two hung out, and it was the perfect distraction for Yuki.

They talked for hours, catching each other up in the last few years, Izumi had far more interesting stories to tell, and Yuki listened intently. Listening to the life she could have had if the accident did not happen, and a life she could have if the trial went well.

That night, she laid in her bed, eyes wide, staring at the ceiling. No matter how hard she tried or what she did, she could not sleep, her mind was wide awake. Finally, at midnight, she grabbed her phone and sent a message to the only person on her mind.

** To Keishin: **

Are you awake?

Yuki placed the phone back down, not expecting an answer. He had to be up early with the team. But a moment later, her phone buzzed.

** From Keishin: **

Yes, shouldn't you be asleep?

** To Keishin: **

Shouldn't you?

** From Keishin: **

Fair. Guess I am more nervous than I realised. Are you struggling to sleep too?

** To Keishin: **

Yes, I keep rolling over to cuddle, and you're not there. I can't stop thinking about tomorrow.

Yuki stared at her phone for a few more minutes before giving up and putting it down; she wondered if she woke him up with her message, and then he fell back to sleep mid typing. She shut her eyes, hoping eventually she would drift to sleep, but her phone buzzed again.

** From Keishin: **

Open the door please.

Yuki's eyebrows furrowed together, but she quickly jumped out of her bed, rushing to the door, she opened it quickly to see Keishin standing sheepishly.

"W-what, why? I th-"

"The boys are asleep, I didn't see the harm," he said, walking in and shutting the door behind him. "And you said you couldn't sleep, so I got worried."

"You're an idiot," she chuckled, guiding him to the bed.

"I'm an idiot for caring?"

"You're an idiot because you've got to wake up early. You need to sleep."

"And I will," he took off his jumper and made his way under the covers. "Please, come join," he smirked, gesturing to the free space beside him. She rolled her eyes but joined him nonetheless, grinning, her head resting on his chest, feeling at ease.

"Izumi said s-something interesting today."

"Which was."

Yuki looked up at him. "She said that if Karasuno win the first two sets, you could make it to my trial."

Keishin gently stroked her hand and nodded slowly. "That's true."

"Isn't that good news? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to get your hopes up, baby. This is Nationals; anything can happen during the matches." Yuki understood his point.

"I know," she mumbled. She twiddled her fingers. "But if you do win both, will you come watch?"

"That was always going to be my plan." He squeezed her tighter. "Even the boys want to come; they want to support you like you have them."

Yuki rested her head on his chest again, softly smiling. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby."

-

Yuki awoke the next morning alone. The sun streaked through the window, lighting up the note that sat on the bedside table.

_ I'll see you later princess. And remember, even if I can't make it, I'll be supporting you the whole time. You're amazing. I love you. _

Yuki's hands unconsciously rose to her necklace Keishin had got her on Christmas. Hopefully, it would keep her at ease during the trial.

** Bzzt Bzzt **

She looked at her phone.

** 11 am **

_ Breakfast is in the fridge. _

_ Snooze Cancel _

Her eyebrows pulled together before dragging herself out of bed and to the fridge. And inside sat a bowl of rice with eggs. Her head fell into her hands as she laughed. She could not believe he had gone out of his way to make her food. He must have done it before he left, she was surprised it did not wake her up.

** 11:30 am **

_ Shower _

_ Snooze Cancel _

She stared at her phone baffled, before swiping on the cancel icon. She pressed onto her alarms, seeing that Keishin had set many for her during the next hour. Once again, Yuki found herself laughing, feeling confused, relieved and mindblown he had gone to so much effort to help her. He knew how bad her timings were, how she was always late or got distracted. With the alarms, she could stay on track.

** 12:30 pm **

_ Don't forget your helmet and kneepads. _

_ Snooze Cancel _

Yuki grabbed her bag and looked through it a final time, ensuring she had everything, including her helmet and knee pads before walking towards the door. She was to meet Izumi downstairs.

** Beep Beep **

She opened a message from Keishin. A picture popped up instantly, a picture of him and the team, all of them grinning with their thumbs up. Below the picture was written.

_ Everyone wishes you good luck! Show them how my little crow can fly. _

She had to fight down her burning red cheeks when she reached the reception to meet Izumi. With each step, her stomach twisted and turned. She was nervous, far more than the day before, but she was also confident in a strange way. She had been training hard for this day. Everyone believed in her, including Old Coach Ukai. There was a reason she was considered the best Ace a few years back, and she would prove herself again today.

And yet, no matter how many words of encouragement she told herself, when she walked into the arena, she felt all of her confidence crumble. Many women had started warming up when Yuki and Izumi arrived. The smashing of balls echoed throughout the near-empty stands, though as time passed, more people starting to fills the seats.

"This is not a c-closed trial?" Yuki nervously asked her friend.

"No, but there are far more people then there normally is."

"Why?"

Izumi smiled gently. "For you."

"Me? W-w-why?"

Izumi started to walk away. "Don't forget you're an icon; no one thought you'd ever come back."

Yuki's face paled.

_ An icon? _

She felt as though one-hundred weights dropped on her shoulders, she walked to the tunnel close to the court, her head falling into her hands. Her heart raced, banging against her ribs. Her stomach turned, her shaking hand covered her mouth as she felt to be sick.

_ She couldn't do it. She was going to fail. _

Yuki struggled to unlock her phone, she needed to talk to someone - anyone, but they busy.

She froze when the picture of the team and Keishin popped up.

_ But they were counting on her. _

Her hand balled into a fist, her head dropping forward, a tear escaping and falling down her cheek.

_ After everything she worked for... _

Her hand reached to her necklace.

_ He would be supporting her, no matter what. They all would. _

When she locked her phone, her head tilted to the side. Her lockscreen was different. It was her poster from the newspaper. The one where she was jumping, wings on her back. The first time she was called the girl who could fly.

A bright smile replaced Yuki's frown, her hands reaching up to wipe away her tears. A few chuckles escaped her lips though it was mixed with a few sobs. He knew her so well. He knew exactly what to do to make her feel better. Truly it was rather remarkable what he had done. She gripped her phone tightly and stood up. The weight on her shoulders stayed, but she found the strength to stand with them on.

-

The warm-up lasted just over an hour, and so far, Yuki was performing terribly. She fumbled most of her receives and spikes. She was stuttering more in the hour than she had done in the last month. Each step she took felt as though another weight was added. No matter how well she held her self together, there was a limit to her strength, a limit to how much she could take. And no matter how hard she tried, she could not stop thinking about Karasuno. How was their match going? Had they won? Lost?

The whistle blew, making Yuki jump.

"Okay, time for some matches," the coach said.

Yuki shook her head, her hand touching her necklace, remembering her promise to Keishin. She would prioritise herself and not think about the team. She bounced on the balls of her feet, trying to keep herself loose, the last thing she needed was to stiffen up. She was placed on a team without bibs, and she was the smallest one there. So far even her jumps had come up short, and the setter on her team was one she was paired with during warm-up, and they did not sync well at all.

"Nishinoya, you're up to serve first." The coach said. She nodded quickly, her head down as she walked to the back of the court. Her hands were shaking when someone passed her a volleyball. She frantically looked around the arena. All eyes were on her. The stands were over half full. Her oppositions were already in their defensive stances, ready for her attack. It was the first hit of the game; everyone expected so much from her. She could not mess it up, she could not disappoint, but how could she when all she could hear was the thump of her speeding heart.

_ thump _

All of her training with Old Coach Ukai disappeared.

_ thump _

What foot did she step with first?

_ thump _

Where should she aim?

_ thump _

Should she play it safe?

_ thump _

What if she mistimed her jump?

_ thump _

What i-

"YUKI!" Her head snapped to the left, at the top of the stands Yú had yelled her name. Her eyes lit up - the whole of Karasuno stood, their thumbs up with large grins plastered on their faces. They won their match. Yuki's lip tugged up, and her shoulders relaxed, the weights falling to the floor. At least she could stop worrying about them. Her eyes scanned down the line, Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kuroo stood at the end. She could not help but breath a laugh at Bokuto, who was waving his hands around crazily.

"You've got this Yuki!" Yú yelled at the top of his lungs, her name echoing through the arena. Her eyes shot back to him. Her breath got caught in her throat as he stood proudly, arm raised and hand in a fist. Slowly, she raised her arm, matching his action. She looked to his left, Keishin stood, arms folded and a smirk on his lips, she met his gaze, he gave a simple nod. She returned it and focused her attention back on the opposing players. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

When she opened them, she was ten years old, standing in her back garden with her father standing in front of her, explaining how to serve.

"No volleyball play can begin without a serve, and the serve is the only technique that is totally under your control," he told her.

Her arm stretched out in front, ball in her right hand. She stood in an empty volleyball court, staring at the net - her father and Yú on the other side of it, ready to receive.

She threw the ball into the air. Her middle - school teammates placed their hands on the back of their heads, worried they would get hit like her many failed previous attempts.

** one - step **

Her uniform changed to black and orange; it was the first time she was on the court representing Karasuno, the number 13 standing out clear on her back.

** two-step **

The stands were empty, and her number changed to number 4, her hair was longer, and her eyes harder.

** three-step **

The stands increased, and all the seats slowly filled up. The number on her back changed to 1.

** JUMP **

The world around became white, her clothes became red, the Japan symbol proudly on her chest. Hundreds of crows surrounded her, flying beside her, the flutter of their wings matching the beat of her heart.

No matter where she played, no matter who she was with, Yuki Nishinoya would always be a crow, and would always be -

\- the girl that could  **_ fly _ ** ...


	45. Epilogue

"Haha Ikkei, you have to walk!" Isako laughed at her brother as she sat on Keishin's shoulders.

"If you keep talking like that, you'll be walking too," Yuki sassed back to her daughter.

"Awh," she looked down at Keishin. "Dad, you're not going to let that happen will you?" she asked purposely using her baby voice.

Keishin chuckled nervously under Yuki's stare. "Of course not, princess." Isako grinned, making Yuki rolled her eyes. She leaned over to her husband.

"You know you're putty in her hand, right?"

"She's my little girl, what can I do?" he shrugged. Yuki could not help but smile; the two were almost inseparable; she barely had any time to have Keishin to herself.

"Well, I don't care!" Ikkei finally thought of a comeback, "Because I get to hold Mummy's hand!" He stuck his tongue out at Isako, which she too returned.

It had been five years since the Japan trial. Five years of Yuki being a pro volleyball player. And what a rollercoaster it had been. Yuki never intended to get pregnant - not during her pro career anyway - but once her and Keishin got the news, they could not be happier. They ensured to get married before the twins arrived in January of 2015.

Even though they were not planned, it was the perfect time to get pregnant as even though she missed a few months of training, she ensured to stay in shape. And when they were born, she still had over a year to get back into her volleyball flow to prepare for the 2016 Olympics - which Japan won Gold Medal, and Keishin did in fact, cry.

"Mum, it's Uncle Daichi, Suga and Asahi! Can I go say hi?" Ikkei asked, jumping with excitement. Yuki followed his gaze to see the three men walking towards them.

"Of course." Ikkei grinned before running off towards them.

"I WANT TO GO SAY HI TOO!" Isako wriggled on Keishin's shoulder.

"Alright, alright," he chuckled, lifting her off his shoulders so she too could follow her brother.

Yú was travelling the world, he currently was in Italy somewhere finishing, but he and Yuki never lost their closeness despite how far he was physically. And staying in touch with him meant she stayed in touch with the other boys from the team. And somehow, they became someone she saw often. They were adults now, and she considered them friends rather boys she used to coach - though Keishin was not the most pleased considering he still saw them as kids.

Daichi picked up Ikkei, and Suga picked up Isako. Both the kids grinned, babbling away, talking nonsense as they always did before arguing between themselves.

"Dad said me and Noya use to argue like that, so hopefully they get closer when they're older," Yuki told Keishin as she waved to Daichi, Suga and Asashi.

"I'm sure they will be," Keishin smiled, wrapping his arm around her waist.

Five years together and Keishin still always found a way to hold Yuki close. He never forgot about the accident, and he was sure he never would.

"Can you believe it? After all this time, Hinata and Kageyama finally get to play each other in an official game?" she said.

"Hmh, who do you think is going to win?"

"This sounds the perfect time for a bet; loser makes food tonight?"

Keishin huffed a laugh. "Fine, I'll let you pick first."

"I feel like I have to say the Black Jackals, not only because of Hinata, but I think if Bokuto finds out I betted against him, he'll be upset."

Being a pro-Volleyball Player in the V.League, even in the women division meant that she knew most of the male pros. It was not uncommon for them to cross paths, whether it be training or press; she considered many of the male pros friends. Bokuto was one of them, and she was sure he would point her out in the crowd and cause an unnecessary amount of attention.

"I guess I'll go with Kageyama then, the Schweiden Adlers" Keishin stuck his hand out for her to shake, ensuring to make the bet 'official'.

"What a day it is," Daichi grinned when Keishin and Yuki got close enough.

"Yes, exciting, though I'm weirdly nervous," Yuki answered, ruffling the top of her son's head - who was still chatting away in Daichi's arms.

They chatted between each other for a few minutes, though it was cut short when people started to recognise Yuki. In the volleyball world, she was still considered 'famous' though it was not for her accident in high school anymore. It was because she was a top volleyball player, and being in a building that contained only volleyball fans, she was bound to get recognised, and eventually swarmed.

"Come on, got to get going," Keishin said, taking Isako back into his arms when he saw the number of eyes that were on them. Yuki had a 'VIP' section to sit in, not that wanted too, she would rather stay with the rest of the boys, but she did not have much choice.

"Damn, I guess I'll have to see Tanaka and Kiyoko later, let them know I said hi," Yuki told the older boys as she took Ikkei back into her arms.

"Will do," they waved as the Ukai family made their way to a quieter section of the arena.

Yuki took on Ukai's name when they got married, but it was no secret that 'Yuki Ukai' was an odd-sounding name, so Yuki decided to keep Nishinoya, especially as it became a well-known name in the volleyball world, which made her Yuki Nishinoya-Ukai.

The teams started making their way to the court, starting with the Schweiden Adlers. They sat at the front, the court inches from them. Ikke and Isako shared a seat in-between Yuki and Keishin; their hands clasped together behind the kids who had jumped to their feet when the teams started making their way to the court.

Schweiden Adlers were the first on, and Yuki could not help but chuckle when Wakatoshi's name was called. She would never forget their first interaction. It was odd, awkward even. The two were at the same promo shoot, and they recognised each other instantly. Yuki held no grudge towards Wakatoshi for the incident; she never blamed him; the whole thing was an accident, so she was rather surprised when he apologised.

At first, Yuki was unsure what he was talking about; it was the first words they had ever said to each other. But when he explained she assured him, it was fine, no bad blood, but even then he seemed not to believe her. She guessed sending someone to the hospital would be something that stayed on a person's mind for a while.

Since then, though, the two were civil and had small conversations when they crossed paths, and the same was with Kageyama, who had just made his way onto the court. The two were not close like she was with some of the others, and only ever talked when they stumbled across each other. But he always respected her, and she was happy that his potential was not wasted and proud that he was in the top division playing for a top team.

Yuki was not fussed if any of the players knew if she was there or not, she just wanted to watch a good match, but her kids had other ideas.

"KAGEYAMA! USHIJIMA! HOSHUMI!" They screamed at the top of their lungs, but even though their voices blended in with the rest of the audience, the player's still looked over, waving at them directly. Yuki dropped her head in her hands, but she was laughing softly. They were a hand full, but they kept things fun, always kept her and Keishin on their toes.

But as the Black Jackalss came out, somehow the two had gotten even louder - screaming at the top of their lungs, specifically trying to get the attention of their favourite player - Kotaro Bokuto - as he made an exotic entrance onto the court. Almost immediately, he turned and waved enthusiastically at Yuki and the kids, ensuring to catch the announcers' attention.

"What a nice surprise to have Yuki Nishinoya here with us tonight!" The crowd cheered, and Yuki did not have a choice but to stand up and give a wave to the crowd. She usually did not mind the attention of the fans, but today was not about her, and the last thing she wanted to do was steal the spotlight off Kageyama and Hinata.

"IS THAT COACH NISHINOYA?" Hinata yelled when he ran onto the court.

"Yeah," Boktuo laughed.

"HEY, COACH!" He waved just as enthusiastically as Boktuo had.

"Who's that mum?" Isako asked.

"That's Hinata, he's a great player, a spiker like me," Yuki answered proudly, memories of her time coaching him flashing through her mind.

"Why have we never seen him before?"

"He went somewhere to get better."

"Better at volleyball?"

Yuki nodded. "Yep," she looked to Keishin. "I haven't seen him play since Nationals, do you think that training abroad did him any good?"

"I don't see why not. He got into the Jackals with ease, and he's on the starting line up."

"Can he jump as high as you?" Ikkei asked.

"He can probably jump higher than me now," Yuki chuckled.

"NO WAY REALLY?" Isako ran forward, her hands gripping the bar excited, trying to get closer to the court.

"That's not possible!" Ikkei defended. "No one jumps as high as Mum!"

But when the two teams starting warming up, Ikkei ran forward and stood at the bar beside Isako both staring in awe of the players. They fell in love with volleyball quickly, not that they had much of a choice from Yuki being a star player and Keishin a coach, they grew up around it.

The match started, and Yuki knew instantly what a fantastic match it would be. Everyone improved so much since high school, but Hinata specifically, he was a completely different player. Not only had the jump of his height increased, but his technical skill was excellent. He had strong jump serves, good digs, and amazing spikes. He was truly a force to be reckoned with.

"You know," Keishin said quietly, moving closer to Yuki, "he reminds me of how you play."

"Me? You think?"

"Yeah, he's probably watched your matches and followed your playstyle, makes sense with you being a smaller spiker."

-

The match ended with the Black Jackals taking the win, though the game was close and extremely entertaining. Not once did Isako or Ikkei sit down, their hands glues to the bar, constantly jumping up and down. Yuki was sure they would be exhausted and ready to sleep, but how she underestimated the energy her kids had.

"MUM, CAN WE GO SEE BOKUTO AND THE OTHERS?" Isako asked, eyes wide like a puppy wanting food. Ikkei copied her action. She gave a heavy sigh and looked to Keishin.

"Even if I wanted to say no, I can't, Bokuto would be upset, and I want to see Hinata anyway."

"I'm starting to think Bokuto has a thing for you," Keishin replied.

"Me? I thought he had a thing for Akaashi."

"Akaashi? The Fukurodani Setter?"

Yuki nodded. "I thought everyone knew that."

Keishin shrugged and stood, pushing to his tiptoes as he stretched. "Well, I've got to go check on Takeda and the team. I'll meet you in the car?"

"Sure, sounds good."

Keishin crouched down, so he was at the same height as his kids. "Right, make sure to behave for mummy, okay? Otherwise no Ice Cream."

"WE'RE GETTING ICE CREAM?" Isako said.

"Only if you're good - especially you trouble." Keishin pointed at her playfully. Isako stuck her tongue out at him. "Do that again, and I'm going to take it from you." She did it again, and he quickly grabbed it before she could put it back into her mouth.

Keishin looked to Ikkei, paying no mind to Isako who was trying to get her tongue back. "I know you'll be good." He said, bringing him into a hug and kissing the top of his head. He looked back to Isako. "Oh sorry, were you trying to say something?" he chuckled, letting go of her tongue.

"You're mean daddy! Now my tongue is all dry!"

"Aw, I'm sorry princess," he fake pouted. "Is there nothing I can do for you to forgive me?" There was a moment of silence, where Isako looked away, her arms folded and chin held high. She peeked over subtly to Keishin, who was still sulking, pretending to be sad. Yuki had to hold back a chuckle. Then suddenly Isako launched forward, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I forgive you, daddy!" She said.

"Aw thank goodness," Keishin answered dramatically, winking up and Yuki who had to put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

When Isako pulled away, she pointed at Keishin, her other hand landing on her waist and puffed her checks out. "But no more grabbing my tongue!"

"Yes, of course, I won't do such a thing again!"

Isako grinned, hugging him one more time before he stood up to kiss Yuki.

"I didn't know we were having Ice Cream tonight," Yuki said.

"Well, I lost the bet and thought why not. Are you saying you don't want Ice Cream?"

"No, Ice Cream sounds good."

"Perfect," he leaned forward to give Isako and Ikkei another kiss on the head before pecking Yuki on the lips. "I'll see you at the car." They waved goodbye and made their way to the changing rooms. Thankfully, the security let her through the court with no issues, meaning she did not have to all around the arena where she most likely would get swarmed by fans. She did not have a problem with it usually, but it was hard when it was just her the kids.

"Hey, hey, hey!"Bokuto called out when he saw Yuki walking towards them.

"Bokuto!" Isako and Ikkei ran towards him; he picked them both up with ease.

"Good match, finally stopped the Adlers streak. Must feel good." Yuki smiled.

"Yeah, it does. I f-"

"Coach Nishinoya!" Hinata interrupted. Yuki spun around to see him running towards them. She was impressed with how much he had grown; he was very different from the kid she remembered when he was a first-year, though he still has the same spirit and motivation - something that made him so likeable.

"You don't have to call me that anymore, call me Yuki."

"Okay, but you have to call me Shoyo."

"YOU WERE AMAZING!" Isako ran in front of Yuki.

"YEAH, YOU'RE AWESOME!" Ikkei added, both of them grinning from ear to ear.

"You were like _whoosh_ , and then like _bam_ , and then like _boom_!" Isako threw her arms left and right, running back and forth, trying her best to copy his actions from earlier.

"You were so fast! Like a ninja!" Ikkei jumped into a fighting stance.

The twins then looked at each other like a light bulb flicked in both their brains. "SHOYO NINJA!"

Yuki talked to some of the other players while her kids entertained everyone with their silliness. No one minded, everyone knew who they were, and their excitement for volleyball was appreciated.

"YUKIIIII!" Her head spun around to see Tanaka running at her at full speed.

"RYU!" She yelled back, excited to see him. Over the years the two had become close, and the kids loved him. In seconds Isako and Ikkei had run over to greet him. He was yet another 'Uncle' to them.

"Want to ring Yú? I've been waiting until you were here too," Yuki asked him.

Isako mouth dropped. "We're going to talk to Uncle Yú too!" She grinned at Ikkei.

"Yeah, of course, I'll ring him now," Tanaka said, and it only took three rings before Yú picked up the facetime call. He was outside, the sun bright, sunglasses on his head and in a white top.

"Hey, Ryu!" He yelled down the mic. Tanaka turned the camera to show Yuki's face. "YUKI!" Yú grinned. "How are you guys? How did the match go?"

"I wanna say Hi too!" Isako jumped, trying to peak over the phone. Tanaka crouched to their size, allowing Isako and Ikkei to wave to the camera. Yú waved back just as enthusiastic.

"How's Italy?" Ikkei asked.

The conversation went from there. Yuki and Yú stayed in contact often, catching up weekly, and the kids loved talking to him. She left Tanaka and Yú to talk as she inspected the room. Soon enough Daichi and the others join them and Yuki was hit with nostalgia. It had been the first time in years that most from the team were in the same room. Only a few were missing like Yú and Ennoshita, but still, she felt an odd sense of pride.

"Do they like to play volleyball?" Daichi asked, catching her attention, nodding towards Isako and Ikkei.

"Mhm, uh - yeah, they try at least, always in the house, and break things, but I can't hate on their spirit."

"I'm assuming they want to be spikers like you when they are older?"

"Isoka does, but Ikkei wants to be a setter. In a weird way, they remind me so much of Hinata and Kageyama." Yuki chuckled at the thought.

"Actually, they remind me of you and Ukai," Suga added. Yuki's eyebrows furrowed together.

"Huh, you're right," she laughed again at the realisation. "Unfortunately though, boy and girl, won't be able to play with each other forever."

"They could for a bit though, be the new Miya twins; I don't think there are actually any rules with girls playing on the boy's team."

"I mean, If anyone were up the challenge, it would be Isoka. She's the human embodiment of a tornado I swear." Daichi and Suga laughed at her comment, watching as Isako spoke to Wakatoshi, or attempted to - he was looking around for someone to help him get out of the situation.

"Hey, Yuki."

"Yes?" she turned around to see Shoyo walking towards her again.

"I want to say thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me. When you were the assistant coach, I learnt a lot from you."

Yuki's lips pursed. "No Shoyo, I did nothing compared to the amount of work you've put in. The player you've become is because you never gave up and worked your ass off every day. There is no reason to thank me."

Shoyo smiled.

"That's true. But do you remember when we did that three on thee with Bokuto, Kuroo, Akaashi and Tskuishima?"

"Of course." How could she forget? It was also the day she and Keishin got together.

"Well, from that day on, I wanted to be just like you. Even though you are small, you are still the best in the air. But you also have good receives and serves - I didn't just want to be the Tiny Giant anymore."

Yuki felt herself choke up. She remembered that Keishin said how much his playstyle looked like her's. "Well, I'm glad I could inspire such a great athlete."

-

2021 came in a flash.

Yuki Nishinoya-Ukai, the Captian on the Japan team lead her team to the Olympic finals. They were facing off against Canada. Keishin sat in the front of the stands, with Ikkei and Isoka beside him and Fujio - Yuki's father - on the other side. Most of the Japan team sat on the same row as Keishin, cheering her on. They won the final the day before, and now it was her turn to lead the team to victory.

The match was hard, back and forth to the very end. But if anything, Yuki never lost her touch with a comeback. When her team were losing, she could always light a fire under them with a powerful speech, or an outstanding spike that would prove they had not lost yet. It was not over until it was over. She fought hard, and Japan came out on top, winning the Gold Medal.

"You're not crying again, are you?" Yuki laughed when Keishin brought her into a hug.

"No..." she grabbed his face with her hands, squashing his cheeks, a single tear escaped. "Can you blame me when you're so amazing!" he defended, making her laugh. She pulled him in, kissing him gently.

"MUM, YOU DID IT, YOU DID IT!" Isoka ran over, Ikkei trailing just behind.

"You're so cool, Mum!" Ikkei added as she brought them into a hug.

"One day I'm going to do it too!" Isoka grinned.

"Play volleyball?"

"I'm going to get a gold medal!"

"So am I!" Ikkei added.

"I'm sure you will." Yuki ruffled the top of both their heads and smiled as her friends came over to talk.

That night, a large banquet was shared between the men and women's team; they filled up most of the restaurant as they celebrated their gold medals. It was manic almost, the number of people who came and congratulated her. She appreciated it all but wished nothing more than to spend the evening with Keishin.

He stayed beside her the whole night while Isako and Ikkei went around talking to anyone and everyone they could. Isako had taken a strange liking to Wakatoshi, and Yuki could not help but feel bad for the man, he did not know what to do with her, but he ended up listening to her ramblings. In comparison, Ikkei found his place between Bokuto, Hinata and Atsumu. They were all loud and energetic, and they enjoyed making Ikkei laugh.

"You did it, baby," Keishin whispered in Yuki's ear. She turned to face him; their faces close together. "You got your dream."

"Only because of you."

"That's true," he grinned, his hand reaching up to her face.

"I don't mean volleyball, Keishin."

"What do you mean?"

"You, and the kids. As much as I love volleyball, it doesn't give me the same feeling that I get when I see you with them. Volleyball had a part to do with it, but my life is so amazing now, because of _you_. Everything is because of you, and I could never thank you enough for it."

Keishin kissed Yuki gently. "You putting up with me _is_ enough." She chuckled lightly. "I'm serious. You've given me two beautiful kids, and every day I'm happy because I get to see you and them. And I love that I can tell everyone how badass my wife is and yet so beautiful."

Yuki bit on her bottom lip, her cheeks growing red. "I love you."

"I love you too, baby."

She brought him in for a deep kiss, a soft yet passionate one - one that reminded her of their first kiss. Even after years of being together he still made her knee's weak, he always made her smile from ear to ear, and she never got fed up of spending time with him. 

Volleyball was Yuki's dream, but it would be nothing without Keishin by her side.

"MUM! DAD! STOP KISSING IN A PUBLIC PLACE!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end!
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this story, I've had so much fun writing it! I will miss Yuki and Keishin, I love them. 
> 
> Lowkey tempted to start a sequel for them that consists of a bunch of one-shots of things that happen in their life. Exp - Marriage proposal, pregnancy, stuff like this, but we'll see...
> 
> I do have more Haikyuu stories planned...Wakatoshi is the next one planned :D
> 
> Feel free to follow my Twitter https://twitter.com/KarasunoParking
> 
> Stay safe, much love, KPL <3


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